Airbag facts for kids

An airbag

An airbag is a special safety cushion found in cars. It's like a soft, inflatable pillow that pops out very quickly during a car accident. Its main job is to protect people from getting hurt by stopping them from hitting hard parts of the car, like the steering wheel or dashboard. Airbags work by sensing a strong crash. When a crash happens, a small gas generator quickly fills the bag with air, making it inflate in a blink! This helps reduce the impact on your body.

How Airbags Were Invented

The idea for airbags has been around for a long time.

• During World War II, the first patent for an inflatable safety device was filed. This was meant for airplanes to help protect people during crash landings.
• In 1967, an American inventor named Dr. Allen S. Breed created an important part for car airbags. His company, Breed Corporation, first offered this new technology to Chrysler.
• Soon after, other companies like Eaton, Yale & Towne Inc. developed similar systems for Ford.
• A Japanese inventor, Mr. Kobori, also played a big role and held many patents for the airbags used in cars today.
• The first cars with airbags available for sale were 1,000 Chevrolet Impalas in 1973.
• Since 1998, all new cars sold in the United States must have airbags for both the driver and the front passenger.
• Airbags are very effective! Statistics show they can lower the risk of dying in a head-on crash by about 30 percent.
• Today, many cars have six or even eight airbags to protect people from different angles.

How Airbags Protect You

When a car is moving, everything inside it, including you, is also moving at the same speed. This is called momentum. If the car suddenly stops in a crash, your body wants to keep moving forward because of inertia.

• To stop your body safely, a force needs to act on it over a short period of time.
• In a crash, the car stops very quickly. If nothing slows you down, you could hit the steering wheel or dashboard with a lot of force.
• An airbag's job is to slow you down gently and evenly. It inflates in a tiny fraction of a second, creating a soft cushion between you and the hard parts of the car.
• This cushion spreads the force of the impact over a larger area of your body and over a slightly longer time. This helps prevent serious injuries.

Airbags for Motorcycles

Airbags aren't just for cars!

• In 2006, Honda introduced an airbag system for their Gold Wing motorcycle.
• Another type of airbag for motorcyclists is an inflatable jacket. This was invented by Tamás Straub in 1976. It inflates around the rider's body during a crash, offering extra protection.

Images for kids

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  The driver and passenger front airbag modules, after having been deployed, in a Peugeot 306

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  Blue plaque commemorating Round and Parrott's patent, at Birmingham Dental Hospital

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  John W. Hetrick's 1953 safety cushion patent drawing

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  1975 Buick Electra with ACRS

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  A deployed curtain airbag in a Ford Mondeo

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  Side airbag inflated permanently for display purposes

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  Deployed curtain airbag and side torso airbag in a Citroën C4

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  Deployed passenger knee airbag in a Toyota Tundra after a frontal collision test, the driver-side knee airbag also deployed. Blue and yellow markings indicate the dummy's knees.

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  Front-center airbag of a Chevrolet Traverse deployed in a static out-of-position test: The purpose of the test was to find out how this airbag affects a 3-year-old child who is out of his seat and in the direct reach of the airbag.

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  Seat-belt airbag

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  An ACU from a Geo Storm

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  Some cars provide the option to turn off the passenger airbag

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  Crash test of an underride guard at 30–40 km/h (19–25 mph) - the truck platform at head height has been prevented from impacting the windshield.

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  NASA engineers test the Mars Pathfinder airbag landing system on simulated Martian terrain

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  OH-58D CABS test

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  Airbag on a motorcycle

See also

In Spanish: Bolsa de aire para niños