October 2004 - Accident Reconstruction Newsletter

Types of Air Bags

Frontal Air Bags

• During moderate to severe frontal crashes, frontal air bags inflate to prevent occupants from hitting the interior of the vehicle.
• Frontal air bags do not eliminate the need for safety belts.
• Occupants who are unbelted or out of position can be seriously injured or killed if they are too close to the air bag module when it deploys.
• Frontal air bags typically do not offer protection in rollovers, side-impact or rear-end crashes.
• Frontal air bags, either 1st or 2nd generation, also known as "depowered" air bags, have been standard equipment in all passenger cars since model year 1998 and all SUVs, pickup trucks and vans since model year 1999.
• Advanced frontal air bags, or 3rd generation, are being phased into new model year 2004 vehicles. All light vehicles will have advanced frontal air bags by model year 2007.

Side-impact Air Bags (SAB)

• Side air bags (SABs) are inflatable devices that are designed to help protect your head and/or chest in the event of a serious crash involving the side of your vehicle. There are three main types of SABs: chest (or torso) SABs, head SABs and head/chest combination (or “combo”) SABs.
• Chest (or torso) SABs are mounted in the side of the seat or in the door and are designed to help protect an adult’s chest in a serious side-impact crash.
• Head SABs are usually mounted in the roof rail above the side windows and are designed to help protect an adult’s head in a side-impact crash. There are two types of head SABs: curtain SABs and tubular SABs. Typically, curtain SABs help protect both front and rear occupants in a side-impact crash; some may also provide protection from ejection if your car rolls over after being struck on the side.
• Head/chest combination (“combo”) SABs are usually mounted in the side of the seat and are typically larger than chest (or torso) SABs. Combo SABs are designed to help protect both the head and chest of an adult.
• How they work: SABs inflate in a fraction of a second and are designed to help keep your head and/or chest from being hit by hard objects both inside and outside your vehicle in serious side-impact crashes. Sensors determine whether a crash is severe enough to inflate the SABs. Unlike frontal air bags, some of the side curtain air bags may stay inflated for several seconds during a crash for additional protection in the event of a rollover.
• Vehicle can be equipped with both front and side air bags. Frontal air bags have been standard equipment in all passenger cars since model year 1998 and all SUV’s, pickups and vans since model year 1999. SABs are being offered as standard or optional equipment on many new passenger vehicles.
• SABs offer protection to two principal areas of the body—the head and the chest—during moderate to severe side-impact crashes.
• SABs can deploy from various locations or "mounts" within the compartment: the door, the seat or overhead from the roof rail.
• Seat- and door-mounted SABs all provide chest protection. Some SABs, called "combos," extend upward from the side of the seatback and provide protection to the head as well.
• Roof rail-mounted inflatable "curtains" and "tubulars" are specifically designed to protect the head and keep the head and upper body inside the vehicle. Some curtains stay inflated longer to keep the occupants from being ejected from the vehicle during a rollover crash.
• SABs are not currently regulated by the Federal government. At the government's request, a panel of automotive and insurance industry experts known as the Technical Working Group (TWG) has developed voluntary side-impact air bag (SAB) testing procedures to minimize the potential risk of SAB-related injuries for out-of-position occupants. All manufacturers have agreed to utilize these tests when designing future SAB systems.
• It is important to note that very few vehicles sold in the United States have seat- or door-mounted SABs in the rear seating positions, where children are most likely to be seated. To see what type of SABs a vehicle has, visit the 5-Star Crash Test and Rollover Ratings section of www.safercar.gov and then check the Safety Features Chart for an individual vehicle by clicking on its make and model name.
  
  

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