Central airbag in GM vehicles

General Motors will introduce the industry's first center-located front airbag to protect the driver and front passenger opposite the driver's or passenger's side in the event of a side body collision.

A center-mounted front airbag will be fitted to the 2013 Buick Enclave, GMC Acadia and Chevrolet Traverse mid-size crossovers. The new safety feature will become standard on Acadia and Traverse models with power seats and all versions. enclave model.

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Airbag belts

As a result of the impact, the front center airbag inflates to the right of the driver's seat and is positioned between the front row of seats closer to the center of the vehicle. The new closed cylindrical airbag is designed to protect the driver in the event of an impact. through another vehicle into the side body on the passenger side if only the driver is in the cabin. The system also acts as an energy-absorbing cushion between the driver and front passenger in the event of a side collision on both the driver's and passenger's sides. The airbag is expected to provide sufficient protection even if the vehicle rolls over.

An analysis of the National Highway Traffic Safety Agency (NHTSA) Accident Information Collection System (FARS) database showed that impacts to the side of the body from the side opposite to that on which the driver or passenger sits, against the consequences of which the front an airbag protects the centrally located air—accounting for 11 percent of all seat belt fatalities in a 1999 or newer collision (non-rollover) between 2004 and 2009. Fatalities with occupants on the opposite side of the vehicle from the impact site also account for 29 percent of all lateral deaths with occupants wearing seat belts.

“Federal regulations do not require the use of a center front airbag, but no other airbag system currently used in vehicles provides this type of protection for front seat occupants,” said Scott Thomas, GM chief safety engineer.

The front center airbag is expected to improve crash test results. 2012 model year midsize crossovers received an overall five-star and five-star side impact rating in the National Highway Traffic Safety Agency's (NHTSA) New Vehicle Assessment program and the 2011 Top Safety Pick from the Insurance Institute for Highway Traffic Safety (IIHS). .

“A center-mounted front airbag has great potential to protect occupant lives in a side impact,” said Adrian Lund, president of the Insurance Institute for Highway Traffic Safety (IIHS). "Therefore it should thanks to GM and Takata for taking the initiative in this vital area."

“No single protection system covers all parts of the human body and can prevent all injuries, but the centrally located front airbag is designed to work with the rest of the vehicle’s airbags and seat belts to provide a higher degree of occupant protection,” said Gay Kent. , GM's Managing Director of Vehicle Safety and Collision Protection. "The latest technology demonstrates the company's commitment to improving traveler safety before, during and after an accident."