Chicago Area Toyota and Scion Explains Intelligent Airbags

Mar 30, 2015

There have been a lot of changes to vehicle safety over the years. When airbags we first introduced in the 1980s, for example, many saw it as the peak of advancement. Turns out, in America, it only takes a little time to outdo ourselves. Your Chicago Area Toyota and Scion dealer explain what it means to have intelligent airbags.

The Basic Model

Everyone by now is familiar with the basic airbag. A large bag is packed into the steering wheel or the dashboard and a compressor fills with air during an accident to absorb some of the impact instead of having your head hit any hard surface.

The Problems

Over the years, experts found that the one-size-fits-all airbag wasn’t working as well as it could. In fact, it was causing more harm than good in some cases. People who were too light, not sitting upright, or were not wearing a safety belt could get seriously injured. Likewise, an airbag deploying where a person isn’t sitting can pose a risk to the driver.

The Intelligence

The solution has been to use a number of sensors in the seat and the seat belt area to determine certain things. First and foremost, your car can detect whether someone is even sitting there. It can determine height, weight, and even a person’s posture.

The Possibilities

Using what are called dual-stage or multi-stage airbags, newer compressors can actually adjust the amount of air and the force with which the bags are deployed. This allows them to adjust to crash conditions and maximize protection.