| AirbagAirbags combine with the seat belts to reduce the risk of severe head and chest injuries in collisions with a certain severity. If the crash sensors register an impact that exceeds the value needed to trigger the airbags, the airbag control ignites the gas generator. This inflates the airbags, which are located in the steering wheel and the dashboard in front of the front-seat passenger within 30 to 40 milliseconds. When inflated, these airbags cushion the head and upper body and distribute the resulting loads over as large an area as possible. Just 120 milliseconds later, the gas escapes and the airbag collapses. Reducing the amount of head and neck movement helps to reduce the risk of injury. A more advanced version of the conventional system featuring two-stage deployment of the front airbags can be found, for example, on the Volkswagen Phaeton. The carefully defined inflation of the airbags in two stages, depending on the severity of the impact, is designed to reduce the load placed on the driver and front passenger in the event of an accident. However, optimum protection can only be achieved if the occupants are properly wearing their seat belts, as the airbags and the seat belt tensioners together form a finely tuned safety system. In addition to the front airbags, side airbags, knee airbags and a head airbag system are also available. |
