7 Incredible Fun Facts About Airbags You Never Knew

1. Fast and Fluffiest Nitrogen Pillows

Fast and the Fluffiest: Just like Vin Diesel, your car's airbags have a secret weapon - they're filled with nitrogen gas, not air! But don't let that fool you; these speedy pillows are made of shaped and vented nylon-fabric and inflate from a chemical reaction in a jaw-dropping 20 to 30 milliseconds, producing less than 5 psi of pressure, even during a crash. Bonus fact: advanced airbags can customize their inflation for the driver, ensuring both speed racers and petite princesses are always safe and snug.
Source => caranddriver.com

2. From Antagonist to Life-Saver

In a twist only M. Night Shyamalan could have predicted, the life-saving inflatable hug we know today as the airbag initially played the antagonist in its early days: First introduced in the 1970s, it took until the late 1980s and early 1990s for airbags to make a successful, non-fatal debut, and modern vehicles now boast up to 10 airbag modules in various configurations to keep us safe and sound.
Source => en.wikipedia.org

Did you know the first seat belt patent dates back to 1885? Yet, the life-saving three-point design we know today didn't emerge until 1959! Discover the journey of seat belt evolution and how it became a worldwide requirement. 🚗💺🌍

=> Fun Facts about Seat-Belts

3. It's Complicated: Airbags & Seatbelts

If airbags had a Facebook relationship status, it would be "It's Complicated": While seatbelts are the stars of vehicular safety, saving 8 times more lives than our inflatable friends, airbags still have a crucial role in cushioning drivers and passengers during collisions. And they don't chill solo either – they come in gangs like front passenger airbags, side impact airbags, driver knee protection airbags, and curtain airbags as part of the Supplemental Restraint System (SRS). So pay attention to those dashboard warning signs and keep the airbag friendship alive and kicking!
Source => startrescue.co.uk

4. Japan's Ultimate Safety Tag Game

In an elaborate game of "tag, you're it!", Japan's automobiles are taking things up a safety notch: the New Car Assessment Program (JNCAP) now evaluates vehicles based on their collision and preventive safety performance, including autonomous emergency braking systems for pedestrians and cyclists, ensuring the roads are safer for everyone.
Source => nasva.go.jp

5. Crash Test Dummies' Gender Gap

Move over, Cinderella: auto safety isn't only suffering from a shoe size issue. Most crash test dummies represent an average adult male, leaving females at a higher risk of injury or death in car crashes due to the lack of accurate female body representations.
Source => consumerreports.org

6. Ageless Airbag Beauties

In a world where wrinkles and fine lines are dreaded, there's one thing that's aging gracefully: airbags! These life-saving pillows tucked within your car's interior have successfully defied the test of time: Recent airbags are designed to last the entire lifetime of a vehicle, contrary to the belief that they need replacement every 10 to 15 years, and federal regulations now even require all new vehicles to come equipped with dual airbags as standard.
Source => lithia.com

7. Explosive '70s Airbag Rarity

As explosive as a Royale with Cheese and super rare like a Willy Wonka Golden Ticket, the airbags of the '70s were as innovative as they were elusive: The General Motors Air Cushion Restraint System (ACRS) launched in 1974 for select Cadillac, Buick, and Oldsmobile models, with only 10,000 units produced till 1976, it boasted two crash sensing devices and inflated in just forty thousandths of a second, a major engineering milestone.
Source => automotivemileposts.com