| An airbag, also known as a Supplementary | | | | 850. [1] Head protection system airbags |
| Secondary Restraint System (SRS) or as | | | | were included as standard equipment in |
| an Air Cushion Restraint System (ACRS), | | | | the 1998 BMW 7-series. |
| is a flexible membrane or envelope, | | | | On July 11, 1984, the U.S. government |
| inflatable to contain air or some other | | | | required cars being produced after April |
| gas. Air bags are most commonly used for | | | | 1, 1989 to have driver's side air bags |
| cushioning, in particular after very | | | | or automatic seat belts (the automatic |
| rapid inflation in the case of an | | | | seat belt was a technology, now |
| automobile collision. | | | | discarded, that "forced" motorists to |
| There have been airbag-like devices for | | | | wear seatbelts). In 1998, dual front |
| aeroplanes as early as the 1940s, with | | | | airbags were mandated by the National |
| the first patents filed in the 1950s. | | | | Highway Traffic Safety Administration |
| The airbag as known today was invented | | | | (NHTSA), and de-powered, or |
| by John W. Hetrick in 1952 and he | | | | second-generation air bags were also |
| patented the device the following year. | | | | mandated. This was due to the injuries |
| Hetrick came up with the idea to help | | | | caused by first-generation air bags that |
| protect his own family using expertise | | | | were designed to be powerful enough to |
| from his naval engineering days. | | | | restrain people who were not wearing |
| The American inventor Allen Breed then | | | | seatbelts. |
| developed a key component for automotive | | | | Despite the 1970s implementation of |
| use - the ball-in-tube sensor for crash | | | | airbags in GM cars, many conventional |
| detection. He marketed this innovation | | | | automobiles did not even have them until |
| first in 1967 to Chrysler. During this | | | | the mid 1990s. |
| era, Americans were infrequent users of | | | | In 2006, Honda introduced the first |
| seat belts and a means of offering seat | | | | motorcycle airbag safety system ever |
| belt-like levels of occupant protection | | | | installed on a production motorcycle. |
| to unbelted occupants in a head-on | | | | The airbag was installed on its Gold |
| collision was felt to be a valuable | | | | Wing motorcycle. |
| innovation. | | | | The standard shoulder belts were |
| Ford built an experimental fleet of cars | | | | actually removed on the seventies cars |
| with airbags in 1971. General Motors | | | | with air bags as they were designed to |
| followed with a fleet of 1,000 | | | | replace seat belts in frontal impacts. |
| experimental vehicles in 1973, and these | | | | The passenger side airbag on 1970s cars |
| Chevrolet cars equipped with dual | | | | was located in the lower part of the |
| airbags were sold to the public through | | | | dashpad and it also acted as a knee |
| GM dealers two years later. | | | | restraint. The lower part of the dash on |
| Before these Chevrolets were sold, | | | | the driver side was also different on |
| airbags were made available to the | | | | cars with air bags as it was padded. |
| public in November 1973 when General | | | | GM called this the Air Cushion Restraint |
| Motors began offering dual airbags as an | | | | System the passenger side air bag in the |
| extra-cost option on several 1974 model | | | | seventies GM, cars had two-stage |
| full size cars made by the Buick, | | | | deployment like newer air bags do. |
| Cadillac and Oldsmobile divisions. This | | | | The design is conceptually |
| system was known as the Air Cushion | | | | simple—accelerometers trigger the |
| Restraint System. | | | | ignition of a gas generator propellant |
| The 1970s fleet of 10,000 | | | | to very rapidly inflate a nylon fabric |
| airbag-equipped GM experienced seven | | | | bag, which reduces the deceleration |
| fatalities. One is now suspected to have | | | | experienced by the passenger as they |
| been caused by the airbag. The crash | | | | come to a stop in the crash situation. |
| severity was only moderate and at the | | | | The bag has small vent holes to allow |
| time a heart attack was suspected. The | | | | the propellant gas to be (relatively) |
| victim was cremated without autopsy. | | | | slowly expelled from the bag as the |
| Then in 1980, Mercedes-Benz introduced | | | | occupant pushes against it. |
| the airbag in Germany as an option on | | | | Front air bags are not designed to |
| its high end Mercedes-Benz W126, which | | | | deploy in side impact, rear impact or |
| also offered such other exotic options | | | | rollover crashes. Since air bags deploy |
| as hydropneumatic suspension. In the | | | | only once and deflate quickly after the |
| Mercedes system, the sensors would | | | | initial impact, they will not be |
| tighten the seat belts and then deploy | | | | beneficial during a subsequent |
| the airbag on impact. The airbag was | | | | collision. Safety belts help reduce the |
| thus no longer marketed as a means of | | | | risk of injury in many types of crashes. |
| avoiding seat belts, but as a way to | | | | They help to properly position occupants |
| obtain an extra margin of occupant | | | | to maximize the air bag's benefits and |
| safety. | | | | they help restrain occupants during the |
| Airbags became common in the 1980s, with | | | | initial and any following collisions. |
| Chrysler and Ford introducing them in | | | | Although they were touted in the 1960s |
| the mid-1980s; the former made them | | | | and 70s as a potential seat belt |
| standard equipment across its entire | | | | replacement, automobile airbags are now |
| line in 1990. The Swedish company | | | | designed and sold as supplemental |
| Autoliv AB, today Autoliv, was granted a | | | | restraints; car designers have moved on |
| patent on side airbags, and torso side | | | | from the initial view of the airbag as a |
| protection airbags were first offered as | | | | seat belt replacement. |
| an option on the 1995 model year Volvo | | | | |