If you visited the Cleveland Auto Show this year, you may have seen the inflatable seat belts in the Ford Explorer. In 2011, Ford debuted inflatable rear seat belts to spread the force of a collision more evenly over the body. This helps prevent and reduce injury to the head, neck and shoulders experienced by passengers in the back seat. Kudos to Ford for a cool new safety feature!
Did you know air bags deploy at approximately 200 mph?
During a frontal accident, crash sensors send a signal to your airbag module which determines if the air bags need to deploy. If so, a small electric match inside your air bag module sets off a chemical reaction to inflate the air bag in 20 to 30 milliseconds. The bag should inflate and subsequently deflate in less than one second so passenger movement is not constrained.
While air bags are important in vehicle safety, they are a supplemental feature and work best when passengers are wearing seatbelts! Be safe and happy motoring!