It is not just an accessory to your car: the airbag is an important element to protect you and your passengers in the event of a traffic accident. Therefore, they require care by the driver.

The airbag is a key element in the passive vehicle safety, ie works by helping to minimize the effects of a traffic accident on the driver and passengers of the same.

History

The  airbag  (in English,  airbag ) is a system of  passive safety  installed on most modern cars. This system was patented on October 23, 1971 signed by Mercedes-Benz, after five years of development and testing of the new system. The first model that incorporated what was the Mercedes-Benz S Class W126 1981 and was then installed on the W123 E Class.

Operation

The airbag or airbags are designed to prevent passengers and the driver hit the interior of the vehicle in case of a severe collision. At the time of the crash, they are automatically activated when two simultaneous conditions: a sharp slowdown in the second of more than 16 mph and an impact head with a blunt item.

To make sure that your car’s airbag is activated efficiently at the right time, you should check it through a scanner to assess the status of sensors and actuators.

Maintenance

The airbag or airbags have become over time a common equipment in cars sold in Colombia. Its importance lies in that it is a tool as important as the safety belt, but to fulfill its function, if required, needs maintenance. Experts recommend a preventive maintenance of the airbag every ten years, but in case of an impact, they should be reviewed to see if severely damaged in operation. If you have doubts about your perfect performance, see a specialist workshop.

Also be careful when you have a crash that activates an air bag, then the whole system works only once and then must completely change. Some shops ignore this indication and simply disable the system which can be hazardous to your safety.

Advances

Today, no longer enough just to have a front airbag now, vehicles also bring side airbags to protect the occupants of the rear seats of the car and AirBelt (seatbelt airbag included), and Curtain (arranged in the headrest ).

Note that the airbag is a complementary element to the seat belt and replaces any case, so if you remove it from the vehicle can result in serious injury in a crash.