Why airbags were invented

The Jeep Grand Cherokee was the first SUV with airbags available in the market, and the Dodge Rams became the first pickup trucks with airbags. By , Ford also made airbags as standard equipment in their vehicles. That same year, the first known accident between two cars in which an airbag deployed to protect each driver happened in Virginia, USA. A Chrysler LeBaron crossed the center line and hit another car of the same model head-on.

Despite extensive damage to both vehicles, the drivers suffered only minor injuries because the airbags had deployed. In , a law required passenger cars and light trucks built after September 1, , to have airbags for the driver and the front passenger.

The NHTSA has mandated new rules for advanced airbags to give auto manufacturers more flexibility and has required improved protection for passengers of different sizes regardless of whether they use seatbelts while minimizing the risk to children, infants and other passengers caused by airbags. By , the agency recorded that airbags already saved more than 4, lives in vehicular accidents. In Europe, mainstream cars do not have airbags until the early s.

Then shortly after, airbags became a common feature on more mainstream cars, although some hiccups lead to litigation, such as with the Takata Airbag Lawsuit. Most early airbags were located in the front. In s, more airbags began to appear even on budget cars. There are knee airbags, side curtain airbags, side torso airbags, seat cushion airbags, center airbag, rear airbags and rear curtain airbags.

Also available nowadays are the seatbelt airbags, in which the seatbelt itself inflates during a crash to reduce possible injuries to the rib cage or chest. There are also vehicles with pedestrian airbags, which are mounted on the exterior to reduce injuries in the event of a vehicle to pedestrian collision.

It was introduced in by Volvo V Breed later started his own company, which became the world's top manufacturer of crash-sensor supplies and inflator-modules.

Today his company, Key Safety Systems, Inc. By Lisa Wade McCormick. Sign up to receive our free weekly newsletter. We value your privacy. Unsubscribe easily. Lisa Wade McCormick. An accident during a Sunday afternoon trip to the Pennsylvania countryside inspired John W.

Hetrick to design one of the most important advances in automobile safety. For 60 Resources. Here we start to look at forces that can oppose the gravity force and so prevent falling. This is a very simple quick Classroom Activity Your teaching is likely to concentrate on frictional forces, gravity, and magnetic forces. But you'd not want to confuse these Physics Narrative Mercedes Benz began to incorporate air bags into their car designs as late as The impetus behind the sudden shift in policy was that cars we becoming more and more popular, this in turn caused a greater number of accidents.

Allen Breed invented to crash sensing device that cost less than ten dollars to manufacture. It was this key piece of technology that allowed the advancement of air bags to all car manufacturers. One of his other key contributions was the venting airbag. This made the airbag far less rigid, allowing for the more gradual absorption of impact.

He then went on to focus on perfecting his crash sensor equipment with great success.