They might be white in color and the look like big fluffy pillows but trust me, those “pillows” are coming at you in a very big hurry, anywhere between 140 and 160 miles per hour. Average deployment time from impact to full deployment is under 100-mils-of-second (there is 1000-miles in one second). They’re required to deploy the bags, depending on their location in the vehicle, needing different forms of the filler gas. Bags likely to come in direct contact with your skin must deploy at cooler temps than the larger bags that run the length of the top of the doors to the roof demand a hotter, faster deploying gas.
The state-of-the-art today is lightyears ahead of when airbags were first developed. Europe led the way and learned quickly that a 200 mph deployment speed was too fast and was hurting (and in some cases killing) people. The Department of Transportation in the U.S. was slow to learn this, and waited nearly a year too long to lower the Federally required speed of 200 mph. With the deaths of 1,300 Americans and the cry from American automotive manufacturers to lower the speeds, the DOT finally lowered the mean average airbag deployment speed to 160 mph. Of course, today’s air bags can be controlled to deploy at variable speeds — a huge breakthrough.
A motorcyclist wearing an activated airbag vest.
The list of airbags depends on the model of vehicle and can include front driver and passenger, driver-side knee bag, driver and passenger seat booster bags, door panel bag and rollover bags running the length of the vehicle. Currently available motorcycle airbags and pedestrian airbags may soon be required. In the case of motorcycle rider, they wear a vest that contains the airbag. Volvo has been developing the base of the windshield deployed pedestrian upper body protection airbags, designed largely to keep the pedestrians head from heavy impact with the vehicle’s windshield.
So, do you want airbags? You bet you do but it is wise to remember not to allow the front passenger to use the dashboard as a foot rest. We know of cases where the vehicle as in a minor crash yet the airbag broke the passenger’s knees and hips when it deployed. Airbags are packed with a powder design to reduce the friction on your face, people often confuse this dust for smoke. Also, airbags deploy and entry very fast. It’s just as important that the airbag not block either your vision as you exit from the vehicle.
The bottom line is this, airbags are generally your friend in an accident, but it’s important you respect the science going on.
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