An airbag system consists of three parts:

1. A bag made of a thin, nylon fabric which is folded into the steering wheel or dashboard.
2. A sensor device which triggers the bag to inflate when there is a strong collision force.
3. The airbag’s inflation system set off by the sensor which combines sodium azide and potassium nitrate to produce nitrogen gas that can fill the bag rapidly.

While seatbelts are the primary restraint, airbags offer supplemental protection and lessen the risk of serious injuries by reducing the force exerted by the steering wheel or dashboard on any part of the body.

Additionally, airbags dissipate the impact force over a larger area, which reduces the severity of injuries. If the body crashes directly into the steering wheel, all the force from the steering wheel will be applied to a small, localised area on the body. However, if the body hits an airbag, the force will be distributed over a larger area, resulting in relatively less serious injury.

In order for the airbag to cushion the head and torso for maximum protection, it must begin to deflate by the time the body hits it. Otherwise, the high internal pressure of the airbag would create a surface as hard as stone – not the protective cushion it’s meant to be!

Crash tests showed that for an airbag to be useful as a protective device, the bag must deploy and inflate within 40 milliseconds.

Side-impact airbags, which debuted in the mid-1990s, are more often found in higher-end sedans and certain SUVs and MPVs. These work like front airbags, but are located in the door, seat or roof of a vehicle instead. As their name suggests, they are designed to inflate and protect vehicle’s occupants in a side impact and cushion other parts of the body. Side curtain-type airbags protect the head and, in some models, remain inflated for up to five seconds during rollovers.

While airbags reduce injuries in accidents, they are never a substitute for seat belts.

Children under 12 should sit in the back seat because their bodies are too small to withstand the tremendous force of an inflating airbag. Infants in rear-facing car seats should not be placed in the front passenger seat with an active airbag.

Infants in rear-facing car seats should not be placed in the front passenger seat with an active airbag.