| Driver And Front-Passenger AirbagsThe purpose of the driver and front-passenger airbags is to guard against head and chest injuries in the event of a head-on impact. They only achieve their full effect in combination with the seat belt. Whereas the driver airbag is integrated into the impact absorber on the steering wheel, the front-passenger airbag is situated in front of the front passenger’s seated position in the dashboard cover, which is penetrated at specific seams when the airbag is activated. Above a certain impact speed, when the sensors of the electronic activation unit detect the impact, they activate the airbags’ pyrotechnic gas generator. The immediately released gas must inflate the airbag before the body collides with it. When the head and upper body collide with the airbag, it must not act as a solid barrier by maintaining its pressure. The body pushes the gas out of the airbags through discharge holes at the point of impact, thus cushioning the impact. The full-size driver airbag holds between 60 and 65 litres of gas, while the front-passenger airbag has a volume of up to 150 litres depending on the size of the vehicle. Furthermore, the front-passenger airbag can often be deactivated with the ignition key via a key switch, so that a reboard child seat, for example, can be safely placed on the front passenger seat. Volkswagen fits all models with airbag systems, the operational safety of which is constantly checked by a monitoring system. |
