Everything You Need to Know About Airbags
Airbags are placed in your car to protect you in the event of a collision or any form of severe impact. They are intended to cushion the blow to prevent or limit injuries among the passengers. This safety feature should always be in good condition. And if you’re a new car owner, you should know the following facts about airbags and how they work:
Airbags can save lives
Airbags are safety features, just like seat belts. In the event of a collision or direct impact, this will go off to protect your body from excessive force. In fact, front airbags reduce driver accident fatalities by 29% while side airbags reduce the risk of death by up to 52% for SUV drivers.
Now that you know the importance of this component, make sure that you get it checked regularly.
When the airbag goes off, it may smell smoky
It’s normal for an airbag to smell smoky once it engages. In fact, small explosives are in place to engage the airbag in the event of an accident. Still, this doesn’t mean that there’s a life-threatening fire happening inside your car.
The first seconds of the collision will be confusing, but try to calm down. If there’s indeed a fire, focus on freeing yourself and the other passengers by unbuckling and pushing the doors open.
It feels like being punched in the face
Although airbags appear plush, it will exert extreme force when it goes off. That means it will hurt your face a little, but not to the point of injury.
During a collision or impact, your chest will feel the tightness from the seatbelt while your face will be met with the blowing airbag. Even though it doesn’t feel like diving into a pillow, the airbag saves you from banging into the dashboard and the steering wheel.
Remember that if all airbags go off, it’s a sign that the damage to your car is intense. In most cases of fully blown airbags, the vehicles will be totaled.
You should get your airbags checked after an accident
If you figure in a minor accident like a crash or low-impact collision, you must get your car checked. The technician will look into the condition of your airbag.
Take note that you should get your airbags checked even if it’s not deployed during the accident. It’s possible that its mechanism sustained problems that may prevent it from working in major crashes. That exposes you to risk and potential injuries.
Even without accidents, it needs regular checks
For safety purposes, routine checks to your airbags will keep you safe. Take note that a proactive approach is much better than dealing with injuries and fatalities when an accident strikes.
Final words
Airbags are integral components of a vehicle. They save lives and also prevent the kind of serious injuries associated with road accidents. With that, maintenance and regular checks should be a default. Besides, you and your passengers’ safety are at stake here. It’s best to be proactive than to wait for an accident to happen before checking your airbags.
