Typically, a front airbag won’t inflate in case you’re hit from the rear otherwise you roll over; it also doesn’t inflate in most side-impact crashes.
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The vehicles we drive provide ever-increasing protection within the event we’re involved in a collision. Most vehicles today have airbags of some type. But did you realize that this important safety feature is best while you do your part, too?
The airbag is one of the vital auto safety innovations in recent history. Understanding how it really works and the way your behavior can affect it is crucial to make sure this safety feature works because it should without causing you or your passenger harm.
How It Works
An airbag is designed to cut back your risk of injury or death within the event of a crash by keeping you from colliding with components of the vehicle.
A front airbag is supposed to maintain your head, neck, and chest from hitting the dashboard, steering wheel, or windshield, in a front-end crash.
Typically, a front airbag won’t inflate in case you’re hit from the rear otherwise you roll over; it also doesn’t inflate in most side-impact crashes. Side airbags and curtains are specifically designed to guard you in a side-impact collision.
The airbag is often set to deploy when the severity of a crash reaches a predetermined level, which varies by vehicle model.
When the airbag sensor detects a crash severe enough to trigger deployment, it sends a signal to inflate the bag.
Today’s airbags use a distinct chemical to supply nitrogen gas: guanidinium nitrate, plus a copper nitrate oxidizer. When ignited, guanidinium nitrate decomposes into nitrogen gas, water, and carbon. As soon because the airbag has absorbed the energy of the person it’s protecting, it immediately deflates.
Since their inception, airbags have evolved greatly and their use in vehicles has expanded. Some models now have side curtain airbags designed to guard occupants from side-impact collisions.
In a crash, side curtain airbags essentially “unroll” from a compartment above the doors and windows, helping to cover these components, minimize the danger of ejection from the vehicle, and reduce the chances of dangerous objects entering from the skin.
Some models even have front-center airbags designed to forestall drivers and front-seat passengers from colliding with one another in a crash.
Front airbags have been required in all latest passenger vehicles within the U.S. for the reason that 1999 model 12 months.
While side airbags aren’t mandated by the U.S. government, most automakers include them as standard equipment to fulfill federal requirements on side protection. The push to equip vehicles with airbags is with good reason: They’ve been shown to save lots of lives.
In accordance with the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS), in frontal crashes front airbags reduce fatalities by 29% for drivers and by 32% for front-seat passengers age 13 and older.
Side airbags even have proven effective in a crash, particularly in side-impact crashes, which might be severe. In a crash impacting the driving force’s side door, side airbags reduce the danger of death for drivers of passenger cars by 37% and for drivers of SUVs by 52%.
Know Your Role
While an airbag is designed to maintain you safer in a collision, your actions can impact how well it really works. IIHS recommends several ways you’ll be able to optimize the effectiveness of an airbag, each for you and your passengers.
- While driving or sitting within the front passenger seat, all the time sit in the middle of the seat in an upright position. Keep your back against the seatback and each feet on the ground.
- Sit far enough away from the steering wheel in order that your chest is a minimum of 10 inches from the middle. If you must position the seat far forward due to your height, it’s best to recline the seat back barely to keep up enough distance from the steering wheel.
- Don’t rest your arms or legs against the airbag compartment. If the airbag deploys in a crash, the force of the deployment and the warmth of the gases emitted by the bag could cause injury in case you’re resting any a part of your body against the compartment.
- Maintain the right hand position on the steering wheel. Many motorists hold the wheel on the “10 and a pair of” position (where the numerals 10 and a pair of appear on a clock), but this places your hands in a vulnerable position and at greater risk of injury if the airbag deploys. The “9 and three” position is a safer selection.
- Never seat an infant or young child within the front passenger seat as a result of the danger of injury from an airbag deployment.
- Don’t allow children to lean against the door with a side airbag, since the force of deployment could cause injury. Although manufacturers have committed to design side airbags in a way that reduces injury risks in this example, it’s best not to permit it.
Do Not Ignore and The Process On How To Check for Recalls
Over the past 12 months, many vehicle models have been recalled as a result of faulty airbags that could cause injury. It’s best to all the time take a vehicle recall seriously, especially when it involves a security feature.
In case your model is an element of the airbag recall, the manufacturer must have notified you to bring your vehicle to a certified shop for repair. In the event you’re not certain whether your model is affected, visit here for a listing of models.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) states that a security recall is issued if either the manufacturer or the NHTSA determines that a vehicle or its equipment poses a security risk or doesn’t meet motorized vehicle safety. Every safety defect puts people in danger and recalls must be taken seriously.
Exploring these features and the way they work is very important for a corporation’s safety culture and must be maintained and monitored to make sure they’re effective in keeping you and your passengers safer in a crash.
This Article First Appeared At www.automotive-fleet.com
