Do you know how your car is keeping you safe?

People are often confused by ABS and SRS; two sensors located on the dashboard. Both are key in aiding against injuries in accidents.

 

ABS: Anti-lock Braking System. This lets the brakes keep traction on the road and preventing 'lock-up' while trying to come to a quick stop.

SRS: Supplemental Restraint System. This is the passive (airbags) and active(seat belts)

 restraint systems your car offers.

Seat belt Restraints:

Seat belts are designed to keep the occupants restrained in the seat to reduce injury from minor incidents to large accidents. It is especially useful to keep the occupants from flying out of the car or smashing their heads on the interior during serious accidents. When the vehicle senses a hard stop, the buckle or belt will pull tight to keep the occupants stable. 

Just wearing your seat belt properly can reduce injuries by half. It is extremely important to wear your seat belt properly, not just half. Using it improperly can damage the occupants more than help them. Using the full 3 point harness belt will reduce the risk of paralysis by only using the lap part or sliding under the seat belt by only using the sash part.

Seat belt indicator light on dash

Studies have shown that since states have started implementing the seat belt law, more people have been wearing theirs for fear of a ticket. The seat belt indicator 'beep' also aides in the use of wearing one. However, in the span of a 26 year study, the NHTSA (Nation Highway Traffic Safety Association) has estimated that over 145,000 lives have been saved by wearing seat belts. They also found that by not wearing a seat belt in accidents, the risk of getting inured was about 50% more than not wearing one. On average, about 8,000 more lives can be saved by wearing a seat belt.

Airbags: 

Airbags are designed to keep the occupants safe and in a position which will lessen bodily injuries. However, they are meant for occupants over the age of 13. If under this age, the front seat airbags can prove more harmful, even fatal. But with the new technology to determine the size and weight of the occupant in the car it may not be as harmful or even inflate at all if a child is in the front seat. They can only deflate one time though, so they may not be able to protect from a second collision in the same accident. 

Signal showing the passenger
airbag is off.

There is an airbag control unit (ACU) that measures force in milliseconds by impact and speed. They specifically take wheel speed, brake pressures, seat and door sensors, impact and acceleration into consideration before deploying. 

The NHTSA (Nation Highway Traffic Safety Association) has estimated that over 8,000 lives have been saved from airbags in a span of a 14 year study.

Front (for driver and passenger): These are located in the dashboard and steering wheel. Frontal airbags are designed to inflate and deflate quickly in case the driver needs to regain control of the car. This process is usually done in 40 milliseconds or .04 seconds.

Knee Bolster: This airbag is located directly under the steering wheel and dashboard. They are made to protect the knees from damage in an accident.

Side/Bolster & Curtain: Side airbags are located in the seats and the curtain airbags are located above the window glass. They inflate and stay inflated to keep the driver/passengers in the car, especially when the car rolls. The are specifically helpful to reduce injuries on the head and brain.

Now, you know the difference between SRS and ABS and how your car is working to keep you safe. ALWAYS remember to wear your seat belt properly, it saves lives!!