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air bag

restraint system
Also known as: air cushion, airbag

Quick Summary

An airbag is a safety device installed in automobiles designed to inflate automatically during a collision. It's essentially a bag that rapidly fills with air, acting as a cushion to protect occupants from impacting the car's interior. This system, first introduced in the 1980s, has become a standard feature, with regulations in many countries mandating their presence in new vehicles. Airbags work in conjunction with seat belts to significantly reduce the severity of injuries in accidents by absorbing impact energy. They inflate in less than a tenth of a second and then deflate, allowing occupants to exit the vehicle.123

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