When Did Airbags Become Mandatory in Cars?

Airbags have been in circulation since the early 50s. Since then, they’ve saved at least 50,000 people, according to the National Center for Statistics and Analysis.

Airbags provide rapid cushioning when a vehicle crashes, inflating and deploying within the blink of an eye — literally. It only takes one-twentieth of a second for an airbag to inflate.

But when exactly did airbags become mandatory for cars in the US and beyond?

When Did Airbags Become Mandatory in the US?

After the Intermodal Surface Transportation Efficiency Act of 1991 went into effect, airbags became mandatory in the US seven years later on September 1st, 1998.

On top of airbags being a requirement for all vehicles, vehicle owner’s manuals were mandated to explain the importance of wearing seatbelts all the time.

When Did Side Airbags Become Mandatory?

These safety systems aren’t mandated by law, but a law was passed in 2009 in the US that requires all vehicles to have some form of side protection, like side airbags.

Are Airbags Mandatory in Other Countries?

Airbags aren’t required by law in a lot of countries, despite being such an effective safety system. Countries that don’t consider them mandatory include the UK, Canada, Australia, and Japan. On the other hand, airbags are mandatory in many countries, such as India.

When Were Airbags Invented?

Simple airbag patents date back all the way to the 1950s, with patents from German Walter Linderer and American John Hetrick submitted as early as 1951. Linderer based his design on a compressed air system triggered by either the driver or bumper contact. Hetrick also based his system on compressed air for his safety cushion assembly. Unfortunately, compressed air can’t inflate air bags fast enough to be effective.

Allen Breed developed a crash-sensing sensor and safety system that served as the first electromechanical automotive airbag system in the world. Breed patented the technology in 1968.

Airbags later became commercially available when General Motors would introduced their 1973 Oldsmobile Toronado, the first publicly available car with a passenger airbag. General Motors would also offer driver’s side airbags in their full-sized 1976 Buicks and 1975 Oldsmobiles. Ford and General Motors would both lobby against airbag requirements for some years before finally accepting them as a staple in their vehicles.

Side-Impact Airbags

Swedish car maker Volvo was the first to introduce side-impact airbags in its 850 line way back in 1994. Airbags were standard equipment in the 850 Turbo and a $500 add-on for other Turbo models. Volvo said that side-impact collisions were to blame for 25% of the serious and fatal injuries in automotive accidents. This was likely in response to the stricter side-impact standards that the federal government mandated in 1990.

Rear-Seat Airbags

It took a few decades for rear-seat airbags to make their debut. The 2021 Mercedes-Benz S-Class Exclusive Line was the first production car in the world to have rear-seat airbags. These airbags deploy out of the back of the vehicle’s front chairs, cushioning the passengers in the back in case of a crash.

What Are the Benefits of Using Airbags?

Airbags are designed to protect the driver along with any of their passengers. Here are some of the most prominent benefits that come with having airbags in your vehicle.

Activates By Itself

Arguably, the greatest advantage of airbags is that it’s a safety system that requires no input from the driver. Instead, airbags activate when your vehicle collides with something, protecting drivers and passengers during emergencies. After all, most people wouldn’t be able to react in time to activate airbags before a crash.

Cushions Vital Organs

Airbags protect vital organs and body parts, such as the brain, spine, and neck. They accomplish this by providing much-needed cushioning when your vehicle crashes into an obstacle while driving.

Keeps You From Flying Out Your Vehicle

Another benefit that comes from using airbags is that they prevent you from flying out of your vehicle when you crash. Sometimes seatbelts alone are insufficient, but being pushed back by an airbag significantly decreases the odds of you being flung from your seat.

Reduces the Force of Impact

Airbags also reduce the force of impact from what could potentially be fatal crashes, dampening blows that might’ve broken bones or worse. When airbags deploy, they push against you, limiting the distance you fling forward and making it less likely to snap your neck, spine, or other bones from the whiplash.

Are There Any Dangers That Come With Using Airbags?

Every driver should install airbags in their vehicle and replace ones that have already been used up. With that said, it also pays to know that certain risks that come with using them.

For instance, airbags really, really hurt when they’re deployed. Still, short-term pain is a preferable alternative to permanent death. Here are some potential dangers when airbags are deployed.

Blunt Trauma from Airbags

When airbags are deployed, they’re released at rapid speeds to protect the driver and any passengers in the vehicle as soon as possible.

Unfortunately, the faster something is, the greater the force of impact when it hits something. Because of this, airbags have the potential to cause fractures, internal injuries, and in some severe cases, broken bones.

Deployment Releases Talcum Powder

Another downside that comes with using airbags is the fact that talcum powder is used to lubricate the nylon fabric.

While the talcum powder assists the bag with its release, the dust cloud created by the powder could cause respiratory issues when inhaled. It could negatively impact breathing and cause asthma attacks.

Potential Gas Fires

Nitrogen gas is used to inflate the airbag during deployment. Unfortunately, the nitrogen is released into the bag via a detonator that explodes.

If there are any gasoline fumes or other flammable materials present in the vehicle, the explosion could grow larger than intended, placing people at risk of serious burn-related injuries.

Risk of Thermal and Chemical Burns

Last but not least, the sheer speed at which an airbag is released is fast enough to cause incredibly painful rug burns when the fabric makes contact with bare skin.

These burns have the potential to scrape your skin to the point that you might suffer from first- or second-degree burns. Burns from friction are known as thermal burns.

Chemical burns, on the other hand, occur when chemicals irritate and burn your skin. Airbags are full of hot nitrogen gas. If the airbag ruptured or damaged in any way, that gas might escape and sear any driver or passenger caught in it.

Typically, receiving burns from this hot nitrogen gas leads to second or third-degree burns.