How do airbags work?

Question

How do airbags work?

Answer 1

Airbags deploy only when they might be needed to prevent serious injury. Frontal driver and passenger airbags are designed to inflate in moderate to severe frontal crashes equivalent to hitting a solid barrier at 10-12 mph. Some manufacturers use different inflation thresholds depending on whether people are using their safety belts. Thresholds of 10-12 mph typically are used for unbelted occupants, but thresholds are higher — about 16 mph — for belted occupants because the belts alone are likely to provide adequate protection up to these moderate speeds.

Side airbags are designed to protect an occupant's head and/or neck from striking objects inside or outside the vehicle in the event of a side impact crash. Because of the small amount of space between an occupant's head and the side of the vehicle, these airbags must deploy very quickly to cushion the occupant from any intruding vehicle or object such as a tree. Sensors detect when a crash is severe enough for deployment. Some curtain side airbags may stay inflated longer to protect occupants in rollover crashes. Allowing the airbags to remain inflated or triggering their deployment during a rollover can help prevent full or partial ejection of occupants.

Answer 2

Basically it's balloon that rapidly inflated by a explosive charge which is triggered by a sensor in the front bumper area.

Small people can be killed in certain circumstances.

Answer 3

Here you go:

http://www.howstuffworks.com/airbag.htm