Airbags were once considered dangerous, and now they are considered the main safety measures even in regular cars. Earlier, airbags used to come only in premium cars, but nowadays, it is available in almost all cars worldwide. These are cloud-like inflatable cushions that protect the passengers or the driver during the collision. Usually, there are two standard airbags in a car. Both are at the front, one is popped out from the steering wheel, and another gets out from the dashboard.
Luxurious and high-end cars come with an option of more than two airbags. Generally, these extra airbags are at the rear and the side panels. This article will discuss why these safety cushions are necessary these days.
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How Do Airbags Work?
Car crashes and accidents are dangerous. With this fear, many people don’t even prefer traveling by car. But the airbags feature has given people a lot of relief these days. These protective bags generally explode from the dashboard and steering during the collision. The speed of airbags getting opened should be at least 300 kmph. It should not be more than 30 milliseconds to burst out. There is a lot of science behind the working of an airbag, and who wants those scary scientific terms?
No one, right? So, let’s get this thing in simple words. Airbags explode as soon as the car hits an object. It is equipped with an accelerometer that can detect the change in speed of the vehicle. At the time of the collision, this accelerometer sends a force to the airbag circuit. Then this circuit forwards an electric current, which sparks the chemical reaction, which leads to the release of explosives.
Furthermore, these explosives release nitrogen into the airbags, and finally, the airbags pop out. Phew, it was a long process. But do you know that this process should take place within 30 milliseconds, or will the airbags fail to open?
Why Is an Airbag A Necessary Feature In All Cars These days? And Why Was It Considered Dangerous?
The United States of America made airbags a necessity in all cars. In 1998, the American government came out with this law. Likely, New Zealand also came up with this law in 2001. They implemented that there should be at least one airbag in each car. Just like these two countries, In 2019, India also made it mandatory to have a single airbag on the driver’s side. Later, In 2021 It was made compulsory to have two airbags at the front. This feature is still not mandatory in many countries.
There was a notion that airbags are dangerous, and over time it has changed. Earlier, these protective bags were not considered as safe as they claimed to be The reason behind this notion is that, first of all, airbags took time to open up in some cases. There were incidents recorded where the airbags failed to open. On the other hand, the force generated by these cushion-like protectors is so powerful that it can even break a bone. People have faced injuries, and even deaths were recorded. So, it was not recommended by many people.
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But now, the airbag systems are very advanced, and proper knowledge is provided to users. Airbags tend to open up as fast as a flash. People are requested not to put anything sharp or heavy on the dashboard. Moreover, it is recommended that one should never put their legs or head, or even hands on the dash. These few steps can make this necessary feature very useful.
