What happens when an airbag explodes?
                     What happens 
when an airbag 
explodes?
Introduction
When deployed correctly, airbags provide crucial 
cushioning for drivers and passengers during a 
crash and can reduce the risk of serious injuries 
and life-threatening conditions in the event of a 
car accident.
Source: www.spadalawgroup.com 2
Airbag Facts
• Frontal airbags have been required in all new 
passenger vehicles since the 1999 model 
year.
• Between 1987 and 2016, frontal airbags 
saved over 50,000 lives—enough to fill a 
major league ballpark.
Source: www.spadalawgroup.com 3
Airbag Facts 
Cont.
• According to the NHTSA (National Highway 
Traffic Safety Administration), 2,790 lives were 
saved because of frontal airbags during 2017.
• Front airbags reduce driver fatalities in frontal 
crashes by 29 percent and fatalities of front-
seat passengers age 13 and older by 32 
percent
Source: www.spadalawgroup.com 4
How Can an Airbag 
be the Cause of an 
Injury?
• The airbag is a device developed for our 
safety and protection, but it has also been 
responsible for many severe and immobilizing 
injuries including whiplash injuries, traumatic 
brain injuries, and neck and spine injuries. 
Airbags deploy at speeds of roughly 100 mph. 
Source: www.spadalawgroup.com 5
Face
• Your face is one of the first parts of the body 
to come in contact with the airbag and has 
the momentum to be impacted the hardest. 
• The main purpose of the frontal airbag is to 
prevent your face and head from colliding 
with your dashboard or windshield. 
Source: www.spadalawgroup.com 6
Chest
• To stop your body from being thrown out of 
the front seat of the car, an airbag has to 
come out fast. 
• After the airbag bursts from the steering 
wheel and collides with your forward-moving 
body, your chest area is open to injury. Many 
drivers have endured broken bones in their 
chest, and damage to soft tissue.
Source: www.spadalawgroup.com 7
Burn and Laceration 
Injuries 
• The speed at which airbag deploys can cause 
abrasions or burns. The face and arms are 
particularly vulnerable to getting burned. 
• Another cause of burns is chemical and 
usually attributed to sodium hydroxide in the 
aerosol created during the deployment of the 
airbag.
Source: www.spadalawgroup.com 8
How to Prevent 
Airbag Injuries
• Always wear a seatbelt. Your seatbelt will help 
keep your body from shifting forward into the 
area where the airbag will deploy. 
• Airbags are designed to supplement seat belts 
in an accident, not replace them. 
Source: www.spadalawgroup.com 9
How to Prevent 
Airbag Injuries Cont.
• Sit as far away as you can from the steering 
wheel or passenger side dashboard. According 
to NHTSA, distance from the airbag is the 
most important risk factor in airbag safety. 
• NHTSA recommends allowing 10 to 12 inches 
between your chest and the airbag enclosure.
Source: www.spadalawgroup.com 10
THANK YOU