19-10-2010, 10:24 AM
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AIRBAG
Rajasekhar Basavaraju
Center for Transportation Research and Education
Iowa State University
ABSTRACT
The role of airbag as an occupant protection system is very significant. In case of serious frontal crashes, airbags can perform well enough to provide additional protection. Airbags save and/or kill people involved in a crash depending on the way they deploy and the position of the passenger when the crash occurred. Hence, understanding the process of airbag deployment is very crucial. Some significant facts related to air bag deployment are discussed in this paper. Many factors influence the effectiveness of airbags. Hence, the effectiveness of airbags is discussed at length and the variation in the effectiveness due to different factors and in different applicable conditions is presented. One of the more recent problems being widely discussed is the child-airbag interaction. A few facts regarding this issue are outlined and the possibilities for a positive interaction between children and airbags are discussed. The concept of future airbags (smart airbags and side airbags) has been introduced. It has been concluded that airbags are an efficient occupant protection system, if used with necessary precautions. INTRODUCTION There have been 3.8 million airbag deployments from the late 1980s to October 1999, with driver side deployments accounting to 3.3 million and passenger side deployments constituting 0.5 million. As of October 01, 1999, 89 million vehicles are equipped with airbags, out of which 57 million are cars (about 45 percent of cars on the road) and 32 million light trucks (about 41 percent of light trucks) (1). An Overview Airbags have reduced driver deaths by 14 percent and passenger deaths by 11 percent. The most widely accepted method of statistical analysis, called the double pair comparison studies are employed, for calculation of lives saved. The process involves a mathematical analysis of the real-world fatality experience of vehicles with airbags compared with vehicles without airbags
