When you are involved in a car accident, your car will deploy an airbag. Airbags are meant to protect passengers and drivers. However, even decades after, there are still a lot of people who doubt the effectiveness of using airbags and the safety they provide.
Learn the truth behind the top airbag misconceptions when you continue reading.
Myth #1: Airbags Can Kill People
Airbags deploy to protect the driver and front-seat passenger in a car. However, it is true that people have died because they didn’t wear their seat belts or they were not in an appropriate position.
The airbag only works as a protection from the impact of the crash and from the passengers, who would have most likely been paralyzed or killed if there were no airbags. In fact, more than 50,000 lives have been saved through the use of airbags and only 62 fatalities related to airbags have been reported.
Ultimately, airbags are just one of the safety devices found in cars that were developed to save lives.
Myth #2: Getting Hit by Airbags Does Not Hurt
Airbags may also inflict pain on the occupants in the vehicle. This is because the fast inflation of an airbag releases particles of metal as well as hot gases and chemical compounds.
The airbag deploys so quickly that it can cause discomfort or injuries to the neck, face, and torso of a person. This is especially true for people who sit too close to the steering wheel.
However, this discomfort is a minimal thing when compared to the impact of getting thrown for a car’s windshield.
Myth #3: You Don’t Need Seatbelts If You Have Airbags
The main reason why airbags were invented was to complement the seat belts in a vehicle. Airbags were placed in the front section of the vehicle to protect the driver and the passenger from injury or death.
Airbags are very effective in protecting passengers who are seated properly and are wearing their seat belts. The only time that airbags do not protect people properly is when they are not wearing seat belts and are sitting in the wrong position.
Myth #4: Airbags Can Cause Suffocation
Airbags are made of a small number of chemicals that are used to inflate the airbag. However, the chemicals do not cause suffocation or any significant health risk. Though an airbag quickly inflates, it deflates just as fast, so no one will be trapped or get restricted.
Myth #5: Anyone Can Reset an Airbag
Airbags are designed to inflate when they are deployed. Most new cars come with a reset button that can be used if the airbag has accidentally deployed. However, you should never touch the button or try to reset the airbag yourself.
For your safety, it is still best to have professionals handle the reset for you.
Are Airbags Safe?
The airbags in vehicles are designed to save lives. Airbags provide additional safety by protecting drivers and passengers who are wearing seat belts. Ultimately, the best safety move is to combine airbags and seat belts while on the road.
Final Thoughts
Ultimately, airbags were developed to protect people from the impact of a crash and from other dangers that would come from being thrown to the side of the vehicle.
Need an airbag module reset? Trust only Safety Restore. We specialize in post-accident restorations, including airbag module reset, seat belt repair, and more. Contact us for more information.
