India Makes 6 Airbags Mandatory On New cars

It’s no secret that the Indian government has made 6 airbags mandatory on new cars, and rightfully so. An airbag in the car means safety from banging into your car in case of a collision, gone are the days when people used to see airbags as a car accessory. In the last 7-to 8 years, India has gone through a massive transformation when it comes to road safety. Airbag culture was looked down upon as a ‘rich people thing’, but now everybody is talking about it and is conscious about it which wasn’t the case some time ago. If you still aren’t convinced, Autobest vows that by the end of this article you will change your perspective.

SRS AIRBAGS AND HOW THEY WORK

SRS airbag is the short form for a supplemental restraint system. In case of a collision, the airbag sensor signals the airbag to open. So, the airbags stop the passenger from going out of the vehicle or banging into the vehicle, which can be life-threatening. Airbags are nothing but effectively large cushions that act as a hindrance in case of an accident.

The SRS airbag system gets tested by the car’s computer every time the car is switched on. The light on the dash stays on throughout the time the system is checking the SRS bag and will stop after the system the airbag is found to be fine. In case the light remains, you can still drive the car but the airbag won’t operate. Airbags can also be put on the side of the vehicle to ensure safety in case of a collision from the side of the vehicle. But a side airbag is still not very common.

The SRS can detect activities like braking, deceleration, impact location, and a passenger sitting in the front seat even. In case of detection, a signal is sent to the airbag control unit to determine which seat belts to tighten and which airbags to activate. Mostly, airbags are made up of nylon fabric material. If you want to know what curtain airbags are and what they do, keep on reading.

EVER HEARD OF CURTAIN AIRBAGS?

A curtain airbag can be found on the side of the car and acts as a curtain over the window and the door of the car in case of an accident. Cars with only frontal airbags are a thing of the past now. They are built to prevent a person from hitting the side of the car and are known to be efficient in such an event.

CAN ONE TELL IF A CAR HAS CURTAIN AIRBAGS?

It’s pretty simple to determine, the inner part of the B-pillar will have an airbag logo, which means that the car has curtain airbags. You can also get information about the airbag system from the car’s manual but it might mention the airbags by another name, usually, they call it an inflation device.

Remember, the symbol of airbags is quite similar to that of a steering wheel so, wherever you find it, just know that there is an airbag around.

ARE SIDE AIRBAGS AND CURTAIN AIRBAGS THE SAME?

Curtain airbags are a type of side airbags, we would say. Side airbags protect us from any side impact possible. There are different types of side airbags, curtain airbags being one of them. They are deployed from the car’s ceiling to protect you from the window and are found in the front as well as the back seats.

Then there are torso airbags which are found on the sides of the seats. They protect your torso from collision, hence the name, but don’t do anything to protect your head. But there are some companies that offer them in the back as well. These two are not the only types, but these are certainly the most common ones.

ARE CURTAIN AIRBAGS EFFECTIVE?

Side airbags are effective in preventing fatalities in case of side collisions. In fact, up to 45% of brain injuries can be avoided if you have these airbags in your vehicle. Without side airbags, there isn’t much that can be done to protect you from preventing fatalities, they are instrumental in that department. Side curtain airbags take 0.12 milliseconds to deploy, which is quite impressive. They move at a speed of 495mph, in case of an impact. The price of a car airbag is around 5000 rupees, you should buy them, don’t overthink it. It’s better than regretting later.

More and more cars are being made with airbags because of the new guideline by the government of India. You never know when you might need an airbag, they are quite effective in preventing head and neck injury. Hope to have convinced you about airbags, if you value your loved ones, please get airbags.