Road accidents are one of the biggest problems in the country. According to a report, an average of 474 people lost their lives every day in road accidents in 2023. Airbags are considered to be the most important safety feature in a car for the safety of passengers. But sometimes these airbags can also kill people. The latest case is from Navi Mumbai where an innocent 6 year old died due to an airbag. After a two-car collision, a six-year-old child received a severe shock in the neck while deploying the airbag. Due to which he got seriously injured and died tragically on the spot. So can airbags prove fatal for your children? On which we will talk in detail today.
What is an airbag? First of all let us understand what is 'AIRBAG'? An airbag is usually a balloon-like covering made of a strong cloth or fabric such as polyester. It is specially designed to protect passengers in case of an accident. It works like a safety cushion in a car, the system is activated upon any impact or collision with the vehicle.
How do airbags work? Airbags are also called Supplemental Restraint System (SRS). As soon as an accident occurs, the nitrogen gas already installed in the SRS system is injected into the airbag. This entire process takes place in the blink of an eye i.e. in a few milliseconds. After this the airbag deploys and provides safety by supporting the passenger like a cushion.
There are three main components of an airbag system
1. Inflatable bag – It is made of thin nylon fabric and is folded into an inactive position and fitted inside the steering wheel.
2. Impact Sensor – This sensor sends a signal to open the airbag in case of an accident.
3. Inflation System – Inflation of the bag is completely done by this system. As soon as this system receives a signal from the sensor, it causes a chemical reaction between sodium azide (NaN3) and potassium nitrate (KNo3). which produces nitrogen, which swells the sac.
At what speed does the airbag deploy? According to the website of Clemson University in South Carolina, the time between detection of a crash and full deployment of an airbag is approximately 0.015 seconds to 0.050 seconds. While the speed of the airbag is about 300 km per hour. The normal time for airbag deployment is about 30 to 50 milliseconds. A typical car accident process lasts about 120 milliseconds. Your eye blinks take about 100 to 150 milliseconds. An average human blinks 14 to 17 times a minute.
However, the incident in Navi Mumbai is a red light case for all those who carelessly put children in cars. Children are arranged to sit in the car according to their age. For example, young children should never be seated in the front. As their body parts are fragile and in case of any accident, airbag deployment can be dangerous for them.
Can airbags also cause injury? There is no doubt that airbags are the most important safety feature. But in some cases it has been observed that it can harm adults as well. Currently in one case there was an accident near Sector 72 of Noida. In which Mohit's car, working in a private company, collided with a divider. The impact was so strong that the front end of the car was completely damaged. The car's front bonnet and engine were dented inwards. Mohit's life was saved as there was an airbag in the car. But in this accident his rib bone was fractured. Mohit did not have any serious injuries on his body, but due to the strong jolt, pressure on his chest caused him to get injured.
Image Credit: (Divya-Bhaskar): Images/graphics belong to (Divya-Bhaskar).
