What is the function of a car's airbag?

[ElizabethDella]

The function of a car's airbag is to rapidly inflate a gas-filled cushion between the vehicle occupants and the interior components before a secondary collision occurs after a car crash. This allows the occupants to land on the cushion due to inertia, mitigating the impact they experience and absorbing collision energy, thereby reducing the severity of injuries. Airbags are generally composed of sensors, an electronic control unit, a gas generator, the airbag itself, and a current retention device. Typically, the gas generator and airbag are integrated to form an airbag module. The working principle of an airbag involves the pressure sensors in the airbag system and the acceleration sensors in the restraint system ECU to determine whether to deploy. When both receive signals simultaneously, the airbag is instantly inflated, expands rapidly, breaks through the steering wheel's decorative panel, and is propelled toward the driver, enveloping the upper body to reduce direct collision force between the body and the vehicle structure.