Brandon Carter

Mrs. Heaver

Physics

11, 3 2019

Airbags: What makes them so safe?

Something can go wrong at any given point in time. But what separates you from that

potential threat can be safety devices. One in particular is airbags. With the use of physics,

airbags are designed to prevent injury. Like other safety devices, they are also a requirement in

vehicles. Although it is an asset to drivers and passengers alike, there can be flaws. Those in

which have created problems overtime. But what exactly makes airbags safe?

To begin with, airbags originated in 1971 as the invention of the car company, ​Ford​.

Exclusively at the government’s disposal, the device was not put on the market until 1973,

where Oldsmobile Toronado became “​the first car with a passenger airbag intended for sale to

the public” (Bellis). An airbag, inflated by the use of gas, was produced a year later by TRW, a

company supplying automotive systems. In the United States, a law known as the Intermodal

Surface Transportation Efficiency Act of 1991, made it mandatory that airbags be located on

both sides of the front seat in light trucks, and all cars sold.

Approximately 44, 869 lives have been saved by frontal airbags since 1987 until 2015.

Statistics show that in the U.S., according the NHTSA, more than 28,000 lives have been saved

due to airbags. However, there have also been reports of issues regarding airbags. This is
because of many reasons. For instance, the force behind airbags is known to be immense.

Considering its 200 mph deployment, the possibility of injuries are not to be disregarded.

Another example of an issue is the location. There is more than one type of airbag. Frontal

airbags are located inside of the steering wheel for drivers, while the passengers have one right

above the glove compartment. With this in mind, the airbags are close enough to cause

fatalities if you do not have proper restraints. Likewise, “side-impact air bags inflate even more

quickly since there is less space between the driver or passengers and the striking object”

(NHTSA). Lastly, other issues include: size of the passenger or driver, defectiveness of the

airbag, the airbag lights, deflation failure, and recalls.

It can be noted that airbags go through careful construction, and their design is not as

simple as it looks. Specifically, “the bag itself is made of a thin, nylon fabric, which is folded

into the steering wheel or dashboard or, more recently, the seat or door” (Brain). Chemical

explosives used are ignited by a heating element. They produce a gas that enters a nylon bag

when it burns. This gas is harmless, however, as it consists of argon, or nitrogen alone.

Additionally, there is a sensor in which signals the inflation of the bag. The sensor can be

triggered by force from a collision. “The airbag inflation system reacts sodium azide with

potassium nitrate to produce nitrogen gas” (Brain).

Aside from the chemical aspect, there is also a physics one. Airbag’s construction uses

momentum as well as impulse to successfully create a working safety device. Momentum is

what brings a driver or passenger towards the steering wheel during a collision. But the

momentum comes to a stop when “a smaller force is exerted over a longer period of time.
Without the airbag, a large force is exerted over a short time causing more damage to the

driver” (Softschools). The mass and velocity of the passenger makes up the momentum.

Airbags produce force overtime. Therefore, minimal damage is done when there is a lot of time

for the force to impact the passenger, and effectively make them slower. In conclusion, what

makes airbags safe is the work done behind it.

 Works Cited

“Momentum and Impulse Examples.” ​Math​, Softschools.com,

www.softschools.com/examples/science/momentum_and_impulse_examples/17/​.

Siyavula. “Physics In Action’:" Impulse.” ​Electrolytes, Ionisation And Conductivity |

Reactions In Aqueous Solution | Siyavula,​ Siyavula,

www.siyavula.com/read/science/grade-12/momentum-and-impulse/02-momentum-and-

impulse-06​.

History.com Editors. “Federal Legislation Makes Airbags Mandatory.” ​History.com,​ A&E

Television Networks, 13 Nov. 2009,

www.history.com/this-day-in-history/federal-legislation-makes-airbags-mandatory​.

Bellis, Mary. "The History of Airbags." ThoughtCo, Jun. 14, 2018,

thoughtco.com/history-of-airbags-1991232.

Woodford, Chris. “How Do Airbags Work?” ​Explain That Stuff​, 29 June 2018,

www.explainthatstuff.com/airbags.html​.

“Air Bag.” ​How Products Are Made​, ​www.madehow.com/Volume-1/Air-Bag.html​.

Brain, Marshall. “How Airbags Work.” ​HowStuffWorks,​ HowStuffWorks, 1 Apr. 2000,

auto.howstuffworks.com/car-driving-safety/safety-regulatory-devices/airbag1.htm.

Amy.lee.ctr@dot.gov. “Air Bags.” ​NHTSA​, NHTSA, 19 Nov. 2018,

www.nhtsa.gov/equipment/air-bags​.
Rowe, Colin. “10 Bad Things About Airbags.” ​It Still Runs​,

itstillruns.com/10-bad-things-airbags-7368576.html.