Learn to Drive – New Seatbelt Airbags
There are 2 new types of seat belt airbags being introduced by car manufacturers. Toyota has a front seat air bag system and Ford has a rear seat system. Getting into the habit of wearing a seatbelt is essential for new drivers who are learning how to drive a car.
The front seat belt airbag has an airbag built into the webbing of the seat belt. It inflates on impact providing additional protection to the shoulder and head area. The system provides additional protection in both front and side impacts. In the case of a frontal impact the belt expands directly to spread the load over a wider area of the chest. In a side impact, the belt inflates between the shoulder and head to reduce lateral head movement and provides protection from impact with the side window or frame.
The Ford system airbag also resides inside the seatbelt strap. In an accident, the airbag fills with gas fed through the seatbelt latch, causing the strap to open up. The seatbelt airbags are programmed to inflate at a lower impact force than would cause the front airbags to deploy, although the seatbelt airbags are also much less traumatic than the front airbags. After a deployment, getting the seatbelt airbags restored to usable condition involves a trip to the dealer. Any time the seatbelt pretensioners activate, the dealer has to restore them to operating condition.
