The Fundamentals
What Happens in a Crash
1b - How Occupant Protection Systems Work
The first is the vehicle itself. A common complaint for newer cars is that even a small fender bender costs a lot to repair. This is because of design. The more energy absorbed by the car, the more damage it will have and therefore less energy is transferred into the passenger compartment. Another way to look at it is the more a car can crumple the longer the passenger compartment takes to go from its forward speed to a stop.
Next is seatbelts. They have two basic functions. The first and most obvious is they keep the passenger in the "safety cage" of the car. If you have to be in a vehicle during a crash, the place to be is the passenger compartment or the "safety cage" (see above). That is, in spite of folk myths to the contrary, it really is best to stay in the car. The second and less obvious function is they help the passenger "ride down the crash." Upon impact, seatbelts stretch. This stretching means that seatbelts allow the passenger to slow down over a longer period of time than the vehicle does. As stated before, the longer it takes to come to a stop, the less injury is done to the human body.
Note: Seatbelts are "one time use" devices. Once they have stretched, they must be replaced. If your vehicle is involved in a crash and you're not sure if the seatbelts have stretched, don't take a chance. Replace the seatbelts.
The final occupant protection system is the airbags. Airbags provide the passenger with yet another way to slow down over a longer period of time than the vehicle does. The way they work is fairly obvious. They behave in the same way stuntmen's airbags do in movies. They inflate rapidly, and when an object makes impact with them, such as the passenger, they deflate. It’s worth noting that airbags are "supplemental restraint systems." What this means is that they need the occupant to be properly secured using the seatbelts in order for them to work correctly. In fact, if not used properly, i.e. not wearing a seatbelt, airbags can be dangerous. Also please remember that airbags and child safety seats do not get along. Under no circumstances, unless otherwise directed by your vehicles owner's manual, never place a child safety seat in a seat with an airbag. For more information on that please refer to proper installation techniques and/or your child safety seat's owners manual.
| Copyright © 2008 MyCarSeat.com | |
| Previous: | 1a - How Injuries Happen |
| Next: | 1c - How Child Safety Seats Work |
| Back to The Fundamentals Directory | |