Car Airbags

[richie]

When are car airbags meant to go off?

[PhilD]

Airbags are activated by sensors which detect frontal impacts above a preset speed. This is why they do not go off in rear end shunts.

[Farrukh]

the preset speed is normally above 9mph, though it can vary depending on cars, side impact and curtain airbags are normally deployed in side impacts. Their deployment is also controlled by a number of acclerometers that determine the severity of impact