The Story of the Airbag
This article is the latest in our series on safety. Check out our previous article on the history of vehicle safety and safety tips, as well as our guide on seat belts.
For good reason, airbags are standard equipment in all modern automobiles. According to a study conducted by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, front airbags have been shown to reduce driver fatalities in collisions by around 30%, with side airbags reducing the risk of death by 37-52% depending on the vehicle. It’s difficult to imagine a world without mandatory airbags today, but this wasn’t always the case.
In this article:
1. Airbags in Cars: A History
2. How Do Airbags Work?
3. How to Maintain Airbags
4. Airbag Laws in Canada
5. When were Airbags Made Mandatory?
1 Airbags in Cars: A History
The first basic airbags started being patented in the early 1950s; however, it took until 1971 before commercial car companies started to adopt the technology. It was then that Ford developed their first airbags, and it was only two years later in 1973 that General Motors started installing airbags into Chevrolet Impalas, strictly for government use.
Between 1975 and 1977, General Motors attempted to bring airbags to the consumer, with a driver-side option offered in Buicks, Oldsmobiles, and Cadillacs. By 1977, they had been discontinued, citing a lack of consumer interest.
In the years following, Ford and GM both lobbied against airbag requirements, considering the technology to be cost-ineffective. It was Mercedes Benz that brought the airbag back to the mainstream, and once they demonstrated the commercial value of the technology, other manufacturers followed suit. By 1998, airbags were a requirement in all new cars manufactured in the US.
2 How Do Airbags Work?
Here’s some information on the steps and processes that take place when airbags are deployed.
● Airbag deployment is monitored by sensors that pick up on crashes and their severity. When a crash occurs, the system then triggers the inflation process. The mechanism then produces large volumes of gas that inflate the bag.
● When the bag inflates, it breaks through the covers on the wheel, dashboard, or any other part of the car where it may be installed.
● With front-installed airbags, the driver’s or passenger’s head and upper body jolt forward, striking the inflated bag, which then starts to deflate through vent holes, cushioning the occupant’s head and slowing down momentum.
● The entire inflation and deflation process happens in less than a tenth of a second, so quickly that the person in the car may not even notice what’s going on.
3 How to Maintain Airbags
Most car owners’ first priority isn’t to maintain their airbags, but it’s only wise to do so. They may one day save your life.
Monitor Your Indicators:
There should be a cluster of instrument symbols around your speedometer; if your airbag symbol has gone dark, something is wrong.
Keep Your Batteries Charged:
Airbags are generally powered by electricity, so insufficient battery power could prove to be very dangerous. Check out our useful tips on prolonging your car’s battery life.
Keep Away from Electrics
You may be a handyman or woman, but don’t mess with your car’s electrics. If you have a problem, take it to a professional.
4 Airbag Laws in Canada
Airbags are not, in fact, a legal requirement for manufacturing or usage in Canada, but they are still strongly recommended by all relevant parties. Seatbelts, on the other hand, are required by law, and research shows that combining seatbelts and airbags reduces the risk of serious head injury by 75%. While not using an airbag is not illegal, it is simply bad judgment, so our advice is to always keep it activated while driving.
5 When were Airbags Made Mandatory?
Airbags became mandatory in Canada for all passenger cars, light trucks, and vans (front seat) since 1999.
Please note that airbags are one of the many mandatory safety features for vehicles in Canada. Other mandatory safety features include anti-lock brakes (ABS), electronic stability control (ESC), and tire pressure monitoring systems (TPMS).
