7 useful things drivers should know about car airbags
(Baonghean.vn) - For people in an accident, the only thing that can save them is an airbag. Nowadays, airbags are mandatory safety equipment on most cars. So when do airbags deploy? Will airbags deploy without seat belts? Do airbags need maintenance... To answer the above questions, car users should learn the following useful things about airbags.
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| 1. What material is the airbag made of?The material that makes up the car airbag is a stretchy fabric or a material that ensures the ability to shrink into the necessary positions in the car and easily inflate when necessary. In the event of a collision, the airbag is inflated almost immediately in just milliseconds, protecting important parts of the body of the person in the car. For the quick and accurate response of the inflation system, a sensor system is used to recognize the necessary factors to deploy the device. Because after a collision, the parts in the car will deform and move, colliding with each other, these sensors are carefully programmed to record the force accurately. |
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| 2. How does an airbag work?Basically, the airbag goes through 3 main stages from the time the vehicle collides until the airbag deploys. First, the main control system (ACU) controls the collision, acceleration, speed and brake pressure sensors, etc. to detect the level of impact. When this number exceeds the specified value, the fuse in the blower ignites. Next, the fuse generates a current of 1A to 3A in less than 2 milliseconds to ignite the igniter and gas generator to create a large amount of gas in a short time. Finally, the airbag is inflated to reduce the impact force on the vehicle occupants and the gas is immediately released through the rear exhaust holes. |
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| 3. Does the airbag deploy in every collision?The answer depends on the situation, not every collision will cause the airbag to deploy. There are cases where the car is hit and the front end is crushed, but the airbag still does not deploy, because at this time the car's electronic calculations show that only the seat belt is enough to protect the people in the car, and the airbag is not necessary. In the order of reaction, when the car crashes into another object, the chassis and body system will absorb part of the force (which can deform), reducing the force applied to the cabin. Then, the seat belt keeps the passengers from falling forward due to inertia. The safety reaction process will stop here, if the collision is not dangerous enough to threaten the lives of the people in the car. |
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| 4. When does the airbag deploy?The answer depends on the information source that the sensors placed in front of the car body send to the central control unit ECU. That information is a combination of many factors such as stopping acceleration, force absorption, deformation, and displacement of fixed parts on the car. If the ECU calculates and analyzes this information source to determine that the collision is strong enough or life-threatening, the airbag will deploy. The calculation of "what is dangerous" depends on the perspective of each manufacturer and the characteristics of each car model. |
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| 5. Do I have to wear a seat belt for the airbag to deploy?Another controversy is whether the airbag deploys if the seat belt is not worn. The exact answer depends on the car manufacturer. Most Japanese cars design the airbag and seat belt systems independently. If the ECU calculates that the collision is dangerous enough to deploy the airbag, the airbag will deploy, regardless of whether the seat belt is fastened or not. Some German car manufacturers such as Volkswagen and BMW also design these two technologies independently. Even with BMW, if the occupant is not wearing a seat belt, the airbag deploys earlier and more sensitively in the event of a collision deemed dangerous enough. Some manufacturers design according to the principle of "airbag only deploys when seat belt is fastened" and set a warning status for the user. |
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| 6. In case of collision, all airbags must deploy?This is not true. For example, side and overhead airbags are designed to deploy in the event of a severe side impact. In a frontal or diagonal impact to the side of the vehicle but not to the passenger compartment, these devices may not deploy. However, Mercedes, for example, has designed the airbags and seat belts to be dependent on each other; that is, if you are not wearing a seat belt, the airbags will not deploy. |
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| 7. Do airbags need maintenance?Airbags are electronically controlled systems that are automatically checked and monitored regularly. However, you should look out for the following signs and take your car to a dealer for inspection. There is an SRS airbag system indicator light on the dashboard. If this light does not come on, comes on but does not go off, or comes on while driving; The front of the car has been in an accident; The steering wheel surface or the front passenger airbag cover is scratched, cracked, or damaged; When the car has been in an accident and the airbag has been deployed, all parts of the airbag system need to be checked and replaced... |
