Airbags are balloon-like devices that expand when a car experiences a collision, providing a cushion of air that prevents a person bashing their face on the dashboard or steering wheel and suffering concussion, disfigurement or worse. Airbags are usually fitted in the front seats. A car that is described as having a “driver’s side airbag” has one airbag only, designed to protect the driver. If a car has “dual airbags,” it has one airbag for the driver and another air-bag for the front passenger. A side airbag inflates from the side of a car and provides protection to the side of the body if the seat occupant is thrown against the side of a vehicle, or else it works in conjunction with the side impact beams, protecting an occupant from the impact of a side collision. Curtain air bags also protect front and rear occupants from side-on impact, but at the head level rather than the chest level. Some makes of air bag have sensors that detect for things like crash severity (and can deploy fully or partially depending on the forces involved) or seat occupancy – so the passenger side airbag does not deploy if the seat is empty. This type of passenger airbag has a load sensor to prevent it deploying if the seat is empty – or has a baby in it. Naturally, baby seats ought to be put in the back, but sometimes (e.g. if a baby is distressed and wants to see his/her mother), you may have to put a baby seat in the front. There have been cases where the passenger airbag has injured a baby, simply because of the force involved in deployment. A load sensor passenger airbag will prevent this.

Earlier vehicles only offered airbags for the driver. Stupid, eh! In my view, passenger airbags and driver’s airbags hould be a compulsory feature of every new car travelling on today’s roads.We hope that helps answer the question ‘What is What is a Passenger Airbag?’!

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