Airbags have become a primary safety feature in modern vehicles, designed to help protect drivers and passengers during a sudden collision. They begin inflating in rapid momentum once the vehicle suffers through sudden deceleration, such as during a crash, to help reduce the risk of serious injuries.
In this article, we will aim to simplify what airbags are, how they work during collisions and the benefits they provide.
What Are Airbags?
An airbag is a type of vehicle safety device that inflates rapidly in the event of an unforeseen crash, helping to cushion the impact on a vehicle’s passengers and reduce the risk of serious injury to their lives. Generally, airbags exist in a vehicle’s steering wheel, dashboard, and side panels. They undergo triggers from state-of-the-art sensors that sense and detect sudden deceleration, especially during the split-second timeframe of a crash.
How Do Airbags Work?
Once sudden deceleration begins, special sensors in the vehicle immediately detect the change in speed and send a quick signal to the airbag control unit. The airbag control unit then unleashes a small explosion which pumps gas into the airbag at once, causing it to inflate.
The airbag is a flexible fabric that inflates and deflates upon sudden impact. When the airbag inflates, it produces a large cushion that helps absorb the force from the accident and reduces the potential risk of serious injury. The entire process of inflation takes only about a fraction of a second.
Benefits of Airbags
The most crucial benefit of airbags is that they help reduce the risk of serious injury during a collision. Due to the proven estimates of how airbags have saved so many lives since their introduction, the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (MORTH) has passed a decree for manufacturers to install at least six airbags into their automobile products starting from October 2022.
Airbags also help reduce the risk of head and chest injuries, statistically the most common injuries sustained in vehicle collisions. By providing a cushion that absorbs the force of the impact, airbags can help prevent accidents that could be terrible and life-threatening.
In addition to protecting drivers and passengers, airbags aid in reducing the risk of damage to the vehicle. By cushioning the impact from the collision, airbags reduce catastrophic damage to the steering wheel, dashboard, and other crucial components.
Limitations of Airbags
Airbags are undoubtedly a highly effective safety feature, but they also have some technical limitations. For example, airbags work in tandem with seat belts but do not adopt the initiative of replacing them. The MORTH implemented a recent mandatory rule that all occupants in a vehicle must wear seat belts, even if it comes equipped with airbags. This rule arrived after a road accident claimed the life of former Tata Sons Chairman Cyrus Mistry on September 4, 2022.
Airbags also provide a limited range of effectiveness, and they may not be able to protect occupants from every type of collision. For example, airbags can only protect people inside a vehicle in front-end collisions, but they may not be as effective if it is prone to side-impact or rear-end collisions.
Conclusion
Airbags are a crucial safety feature in modern vehicles, designed to help protect drivers and passengers from all over the entire world. They prioritize reducing the risk of complicated head and chest injuries and have statistically saved countless lives since their first introduction in the early 1970s.
While airbags suffer a few limitations, such as their limited range of effectiveness and the persistent need for proper seat belt use, they remain an essential part of any vehicle’s safety system.
