Side airbags

Side airbags are an important innovation in vehicle safety equipment for protecting occupants in side impact crashes such as at intersections or when a vehicle veers off the road and crashes side-on into an object like a pole or tree.

Side airbags also offer protection in rollover crashes or when two vehicles have an adjacent angle crash.

Research conducted in the USA has demonstrated that side and curtain airbags can reduce the risk of casualty crashes by 45 per cent.

There were over 7,000 casualty crashes in NSW in 2004 with rollovers or side impacts to the vehicles and, if installed, side airbags would have significantly reduced injury severity in many of these crashes.

There are different types of side airbags:

Curtain airbags

These protect the head for both front and, in most of the cases, back seat occupants during a side crash. When deployed they form a cushion between the occupant's head and the window.

They may also offer protection during a roll over.

Torso airbags

These protect the body from the shoulders to the hip. They are fitted for the front seat occupants and, depending on the manufacturer, for rear seat occupants.

They deploy from the seat or the door to form a cushion between the occupant’s torso and the door panels and vehicle body.

Combination head/torso airbags

This system protects the head and the body from the shoulders down to the hip and is typically provided for front seat occupants only. They are located in a similar position to the torso airbags, but are larger as they protect the head and torso.

It is important to confirm with the vehicle’s manufacturer about the type of protection provided by the side airbags offered in a vehicle.

Side airbags that protect the head and the torso for both front and rear seat occupants offer the best protection.

For this reason, a combination of curtain airbags and torso airbags should be chosen as they can offer protection during roll overs as well.

The main types of side airbags currently on the market are:

Curtain airbags - provides head protection for front and back seat occupants (typically).
Torso airbags - provides torso protection for front and back seat occupants (depends upon manufacturer).
Head and torso combination airbags - provides torso and head protection for front seat occupants (typically).