All About Airbags | Best Car Site for Women | VroomGirls
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`All About Airbags
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`All new cars have airbags — four, six, sometimes ten or more. What exactly do all these different
`airbags do, and how do they work? Let’s find out.
`
`By Aaron Gold
`
`Airbags serve three primary purposes:
`
`– They prevent the occupants from hitting hard objects such as the steering wheel or dashboard.
`– They spread the force of impact across the width of the body, rather than concentrating a large force in a small area.
`– They ease deceleration forces on the body.
`
`Seat belts are a vital part of the airbag system. They align the body to provide maximum protection from
`the airbag, plus they provide protection in crashes that are severe enough to cause injury, but not severe
`enough for airbag deployment.
`
`IPR 2016-01790
`American Vehicular Sciences
`Exhibit 2019
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`http://www.vroomgirls.com/all-about-airbags/[5/6/2017 9:35:16 PM]
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`All About Airbags | Best Car Site for Women | VroomGirls
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`TYPES OF AIRBAGS
`
`Front airbags
`
`Front airbags are mounted in the steering wheel and the dashboard, and are designed to help cushion the front-seat
`occupants in a front-end collision, where speeds and crash forces tend to be the highest.
`
`Early front airbags were designed to protect heavy, unbelted occupants. This required large airbags that deployed with
`extreme force — enough to injure or kill smaller people, especially women and children. Airbags were “depowered” in 1998;
`today’s airbags use a variety of sensors to determine occupant weight, crash severity, and seat position and choose the most
`appropriate rate of inflation.
`
`Knee airbags are mounted on the lower edge of the dashboard, and keep the occupants’ legs (which are not restrained by
`the seat belt or the front airbag) from striking the dash or, worse yet, the sharp bits underneath it.
`
`Side airbags, also known as torso airbags, are mounted in the outer edge of the seat itself, and are designed to protect the
`torso in a side collision. (Protection is also provided by metal “anti-intrusion” beams built into the doors.) Most cars have side
`airbags in the front seats only, but some automakers offer rear seat-mounted airbags as well.
`
`Side curtain airbags are usually mounted in the roof of the car, above the windows. In a side collision or rollover, they deploy
`downward, covering the windows like curtains. They serve two purposes: First, in a side (“T-bone”) collision, they protect the
`occupants heads from being whipped outside the vehicle; second, they protect the arms and head from debris if the vehicle
`rolls over. Unlike most airbags, which deflate right away, side curtain airbags usually stay inflated for several seconds in order
`to provide extended roll-over protection. Most side curtain airbags protect both front and back seats, and some three-row
`vehicles (7- and 8-seat SUVs and minivans) have side curtain airbags for all three rows.
`
`Inflatable seatbelts have a small airbag mounted in the seat belt shoulder strap; the airbag inflates to spread the load across
`the occupant’s chest. A relatively recent development, rear-seat inflatable seatbelts are only offered on a handful of cars.
`
`Knee airbags
`
`Side airbags
`
`Side curtain airbags
`
`Inflatable seat belts
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`All About Airbags | Best Car Site for Women | VroomGirls
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`HOW AIRBAGS WORK
`Airbags are triggered by collision sensors and accelerometers that detect the direction and severity of a crash and determine whether the airbags need
`to be deployed, and if so, which ones. If an airbag is needed, a device called a gas generator starts a chemical reaction that produces large quantities of
`gas (usually nitrogen) to inflate the bag.
`
`Airbags are not the big, fluffy pillows we see in slow-motion TV commercials. The entire deployment process, from collision detection to full inflation,
`must happen in about 1/25th of a second (about half the time it takes to blink), so airbags inflate with great force, usually accompanied by an almighty
`bang. Once inflated, the airbags will deflate right away, and may fill the car with smoke-like powder or dust.
`
`AIRBAG SAFETY
`
`For small women
`Because airbags deploy with such great force, sitting too close to the steering wheel when the airbag goes off can cause
`injury. (Sitting too close also limits your ability to turn the steering wheel if you have to swerve.) Slide your seat back far
`enough that your arms are only slightly bent. If you have trouble reaching the pedals, have pedal extenders installed.
`
`For pregnant women
`If you are pregnant, it is important to wear your seat belt properly. The shoulder belt should lie between your breasts and to
`the side of your belly, while the lap belt sits underneath, across your pubic bone. Do not position the belt across your belly!
`Sit as far back as you can while still being able to reach the wheel with arms slightly bent. If your belly is still too close to the
`wheel, it’s best to let someone else drive.
`
`For children
`Front airbags can be dangerous for children; kids should ride in the back seat until they can wear a three-point seat belt
`properly. If you must put your kid in the front passenger’s seat, slide it back as far as possible. Rear-facing child seats should
`never be used in a seat with a front airbag, as a deployment can cause lethal head and neck injuries.
`
`Rear-seat side airbags are generally safe for child seats; check with your child seat’s manufacturer to make sure the seat is
`airbag-compatible. Kids (and adults) should avoid placing objects between themselves and the side airbags, or sleeping while
`leaning against the side airbag or the windows.
`
`Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. is not responsible for the content of this column.
`
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