As the bag inflates it pushes its way out from between a split in the cover so none of the steering wheel, dashboard or other surface in front hits your face or body. As your head or body meets the airbag it cushions the impact by deflating through holes at the base. The driver-side airbag ignites and inflates in milliseconds, or less than half the time it takes to blink your eyes. The passenger bag takes milliseconds. Air bags reduce the chance that your upper body or head will strike the vehicle's interior during a crash.
To avoid an air-bag-related injury , make sure you are properly seated and remember—air bags are designed to work with seat belts, not replace them.
And children under 13 should sit in the back seat. Vehicles can be equipped with both front and side air bags SABs. Frontal air bags have been standard equipment in all passenger cars since model year and in all SUVs, pickups and vans since model year SABs are being offered as standard or optional equipment on many new passenger vehicles.
Generally, when there is a moderate to severe crash, a signal is sent from the air bag system's electronic control unit to an inflator within the air bag module. Because air bags deploy very rapidly, serious or sometimes fatal injuries can occur if the driver or passenger is too close to — or comes in direct contact with — the air bag when it first begins to deploy.
Side-impact air bags inflate even more quickly since there is less space between the driver or passengers and the striking object, whether the interior of the vehicle, another vehicle, a tree, or a pole. Sitting as far back from the steering wheel or dashboard as possible and using seat belts help prevent drivers and passengers from being "too close" to a deploying frontal air bag. This is why rear-facing car seats should not be placed in front of an active air bag, and children under 13 should be seated in the back seat.
Air bags can only deploy once, so make sure you replace used air bags right away after a crash, only at an authorized repair center, and before you drive the vehicle again. Takata air bags, installed in tens of millions of U. If your car or truck is included in this list of Takata air bag-affected vehicles , contact your dealer for the appropriate repair. You count on your air bag to protect you and others in your vehicle in the event of a crash.
If your vehicle is equipped with a counterfeit air bag, there is cause for concern. Counterfeit air bags have been shown to consistently malfunction in ways that range from non-deployment to the expulsion of metal shrapnel during deployment. NHTSA has identified certain vehicle makes and models that may have these air bags. We believe this issue affects less than 0. Consumers whose vehicles have been in a crash and who have replaced their air bags by a repair shop that is not part of a new car dealership within the past three years or who have purchased a replacement air bag online should contact the call center established by their auto manufacturer to have their vehicle inspected at their own expense and their air bag replaced if necessary.
The responsibility for replacing a counterfeit air bag will vary depending on the circumstances around the original installation of the part. If you are concerned and have an air bag that was replaced at a repair shop recommended by your insurance company, we recommend that you contact your insurance company. You may also wish to contact your local Consumer Protection Agency or the appropriate State Office of the Attorney General to determine your rights under the law, and the Better Business Bureau or the Federal Trade Commission to file a complaint.
There are few circumstances under which the risk of sitting in front of an active frontal air bag outweigh the safety benefits. Authorization will be granted under the following four circumstances:. The approval process for deactivation is more rigorous because, while an ON-OFF switch allows the driver or passenger frontal air bag to be turned on and off in appropriate circumstances, deactivation is not so flexible. Once deactivated, an air bag cannot be easily activated for those drivers or passengers who may need it.
If you are interested in having an air bag ON-OFF switch installed in a vehicle you own or lease check with the leasing company first to see if installing an ON-OFF switch would violate the terms of your lease , you will need to:. Breed Corporation took Hetrick's original work and enhanced the design by adding various active trigger sensors. This lead to the airbag's internal development in conjunction with various "Big Three" companies in the late 60's, with a first production roll-out in GM's Buick Electra line in Airbags are operated on the basis of three components: An airbag module; one or more crash sensors, including an accelerometer; and a managing diagnostic unit.
The front airbag is contained in the steering wheel, with a secondary dash panel bag on the passenger side above the glove box. Side airbags are located in the headliner on either side of the passenger compartment. The intent of these devices is to mitigate the impact of a sidewards movement in a crash. Knee airbags can be carried under the passenger glove box, and also under the back of the front seats.
0コメント