Safety Around Airbags

Since 1998, dual frontal airbags for the driver and front passenger have been standard equipment for all passenger cars sold in the United States. Since 1999, all light trucks, vans, and SUVs were also required to have dual airbags. Over the years, airbag improvements have been made. Advanced frontal airbags were required in all new vehicles manufactured since September 1st, 2006 (2007 model year vehicles). Advanced systems use various sensors to minimize the risk of being injured by an airbag deployment during an accident, especially for children and small adults. These sensors commonly detect the size of the person sitting in the seat, the severity of the crash, the position of the seat, and whether or not the occupant is wearing a seat belt. The advanced systems inflate according to the sensor input. This section focuses on: