As car accidents increase; measures taken against this increasing day by day. You can get rid of the accident with minimum damage with the cars of higher quality, which are built on steel and whose protective measures have been increased. Of course, one of the things that protect us most in the event of an accident is “airbags”.
Today I will tell you about the curtain airbags that protect our heads in the event of an accident. The curtain airbags are deployed if the vehicle is damaged from the side. In this article, we will answer questions such as “When did curtain airbags come into our life? “ What kind of cars are available? ” “ When is it activated? ”And mid Is it necessary? Let’s talk about this…
Passive security systems in the automotive industry with the development of day by day and increasing our number and variety of security equipment that has been increasing day by day has become the essential element of security today.
This equipment, which came into our lives in the late 1990s, was made to protect the shoulder and head area in case of an impact from the side of the vehicle. The airbags are usually located inside the doors and protect the shoulder, abdomen, hip and chest area, while the curtain airbags are mounted on the roof of the vehicle or the top of the door, and if these airbags are opened, they close all the side windows like a curtain. Thus, protection is provided.
There are sensors installed to determine if it is severe enough to cause accidents and, unlike normal airbags, they remain passive for a few seconds to provide you with additional protection if your vehicle rolls over. A further advantage of the curtain airbags is that parts that break from vehicles damaged in the event of an accident or broken windows can be prevented from entering the vehicle, reducing the risk of injury. This ensures maximum protection from side impacts with side airbags.
The airbags deploy when impacts occur at speeds above approx. 20 km / h. For the airbag to function, it must leave the reservoir in which it is held at a speed equal to approximately 320 km / h. This means a force that can cause great harm to very close people, especially children. So it wouldn’t make sense to wait for light crashes to open. Nevertheless, as minor impacts can have a great impact on young children, it must be safely seated to prevent damage to the airbag if the airbag is not deployed. Nobody wants the kid to get hurt, I guess. Personally, if I were in the car with me and my child; I used to put my child in the back seat with a seat belt on. It takes 2-3 seconds to fasten the seat belt, it is invaluable to cause injury.
The curtain airbags, which we have seen in small class cars in recent years, are either not offered at all or are shown in the option list due to the difficulties and the high costs of placing them in small cars. There are very few models in this class that offer curtain airbags in standard equipment. If your budget is low, there is another airbag for this. If you choose your car on a low budget, you can opt for a curtain airbag instead of a curtain airbag. Life is more important than anything else if the budget is not enough to find different solutions would be right.
These airbags, called the head-chest side airbags, operate with a system that has turned the disadvantages of the curtain airbag into an advantage. The area he’s protecting you is more. These airbags are placed in the seat again, but when opened they swell over a wide area up to the head level, providing excellent protection. Because no curtain airbags are required and the ease of deployment of the side airbags, it is cost-effective, reducing the cost of the car and the cost of repairing a possible accident. So, don’t say yok I don’t have a budget ”. The solution is always there. If the curtain does not necessarily airbag so you can get rid of the accident.
Although the curtain air cushion does not show an effect in a wide area, if it is not very effective in case of a somersault, head-chest airbags, which have been successful in the crash tests of the side, continue to spread in different brands and models. It is possible to see these types of airbags which act as “curtain airbags de in A and B segment cars. When discussing the necessity of a curtain airbag; head-chest airbags should be preferred.
Taking into account the side airbags acting as a curtain airbag, small class cars with this airbag may appear to have 4 airbags. This raises questions about security. Before you buy a car, I recommend you check the safety equipment well.
Let us ask the question de Is the Air Curtain Safe? In 2015, 34 million cars with an airbag produced by a brand were recalled. The statement made at that time, airbags for any reason in the case, the parts that will fly through the chest and face damage can be said. Maybe our cars, which we think are reliable for years, are reliable because we haven’t had an accident. The measure should never be abandoned. Let’s always be cautious. Do not assume that your car airbag is 100% working. Check, test, how important can it be for you? Have a quick look at it without wasting time.
Number of Airbags Confusing
The number of airbags causes a lot of confusion today. We need to clarify this. A single airbag indicates only the driver’s airbag, while the double airbag points to the driver and passenger airbag. When the four airbags are mentioned, the front side airbags (left front, right front) are added. But when it comes to airbags 6 or more, they get confused.
6 airbags; driver, passenger, and front side airbags as well as curtain airbags, while specifying 7 airbags in addition to the driver’s knee airbag, he says. Some brands of curtain airbags left and right instead of counting two as the safety of the rear seat passengers counts four so that the number of 8 airbags are reached. However, the term “8 airbags farklı may also indicate that there are rear side airbags. 9 airbags point to the driver’s knee airbag in addition to the 8 airbags.
Your car may be equipped with an airbag. But do these airbags always and always work? Which moments come into play? To learn this, I have explained the working principles below.
Working Principle
1. Accelerometer due to the loss of speed at the moment of collision detects the change in speed in the car.
2. If this deceleration is large enough to trigger the system, the airbag is alerted.
3. The airbag system, which receives the warning, flows current through a heating apparatus and activates the chemical explosive.
4. The pad explodes with the explosive gas expanding and burning.
5. The air in the opened cushion discharges the gas it keeps from the small discharge openings on the sides to prevent suffocation.
Numerical values of opening speed (Msn: millisecond, one-thousandth of a second)
0 milliseconds: First contact with collision
30 milliseconds: Airbag ready to inflate
30–54 milliseconds: Gradually inflating an airbag
54 milliseconds: When the driver first contacts the airbag
54–58 milliseconds: The driver’s body pressures on the airbag, accelerating the selling process.
84 milliseconds: When the airbag is fully inflated.
Tips for improving the benefits and safety of the curtain airbag;
• Child seats must never be mounted or traveling in the front seat with the back of the child facing the airbag. Do not try, it has been tested in previous accidents, in this case, it can be fatal.
• The driver must be at least 25 centimeters from the steering wheel. (Proximity to the steering wheel max, should not come closer if the wrists correspond to the upper part of the steering wheel) If you get closer, it can hurt and hurt your face.
• The airbag is a supplementary measure only, remember that it is a passive safety system and must be used in conjunction with the seat belt. It will not work unless the seat belt is fastened.
• Children should sit in the rear seat with their seat belts fastened in safety seats suitable for their age and height. Inside collisions, if you sit in the front or the back, nothing will change but if the child sits in the front; In case of impacts from the front, inevitably, any cuts or fractures to the face or body of the children will occur.
When does the airbag deploy?
• In front-end collisions; The driver front airbag and front passenger airbag are deployed.
• Inside collisions; the front side airbag on the accident site and the curtain, head airbag on the accident site.
Curtain airbags will not work in which case:
• It does not work when the ignition switch is off. If you are in the car while parked, you are in danger.
• It does not work only when the front impact is received.
• It does not work when a slight impact is received from the side.
• It does not work when a slight rear impact is taken.
• It does not work in case of tipping in such a way that it does not come into contact from the side.
• The left-hand side airbag does not operate in case of a right-hand collision and the right-side airbag in a collision.
In summary, it does not open in light of impacts. If it opens, it can cost you more. I’m sure you wouldn’t want that either.
Can curtain airbags alone be enough?
You should also keep in mind that curtain airbags that provide the safety of the driver and passengers will not be enough in case of an accident alone. If the seat belt is not fastened, the airbags may damage instead of being useful.
The seat belt ensures that the driver and passengers remain stationary at a distance, while the airbags slow down the head movement and prevent injury. Let’s assume that the seat belt is not fastened during the accident. Since it is unlikely that you will remain stationary in the vehicle, the severely deployed airbag may cause injury or cause you to fatal if you swing in another direction. Even if it doesn’t have fatal consequences, you’re hurt. You don’t want that.
Are the airbags deployed if the seat belt is not fastened?
• Generally, the airbags deploy whether or not the seat belt is fastened and are not connected to the belt. However, in some accidents, the deployment or failure of a part of the airbags may vary depending on the angle and speed at which the accident occurred. In other words, there is no rule that airbags will be deployed in every accident. As mentioned above, deployment of the airbag varies according to the severity and angle of the impact.
How long is the life of the airbag?
When the airbags expire after 10 years, you are more likely to encounter problems such as non-deployment, explosion-tearing or untimely deployment. You should, therefore, have your airbag checked at least once every 10 years by a specialist garage. If you say “I’ll exchange at least 1 car in 10 years.” It’s up to your budget. I wish everyone could be as lucky as you… Unfortunately, while some of us have a lot of budgets, some of us can’t even buy a car.
Seat belts must be fastened for the airbags to work effectively in the event of an accident. Otherwise, the airbags alone will not be of much use and may be damaged due to skidding in the vehicle or even have fatal consequences. For this reason, it is important to use it together with the seat belt. Besides, the protective function of the airbag only functions once and it would be more accurate to replace an exploding airbag with a new one.
And, the airbags do not inflate by releasing compressed or pressurized air or gas. They swell as a result of a chemical reaction.
I had an accident last year, too. My car didn’t have a curtain airbag. The oncoming truck hit my car from the left side and caused my airbags to work. I’ve never been get hurt by this accident. Yes, the windows in the door were broken, but there were no injuries. If the curtain had an airbag, it would open too. But it was cost and did not work. If I had 50 cars, I wouldn’t buy a curtain airbag for one. I’m sure you would agree with me.
Let’s conclude. As a result; I would say that curtain airbags are not very necessary all the time. While other airbags increase the cost and protect them well again; How much do you think curtain airbags are required?
