Occupant Protection > Airbags

Airbags are safety devices that protect your head and upper body from injury in a collision. They prevent the driver's head from hitting the steering wheel, and the front passenger's head from striking the dashboard.

Airbags are most useful in high-speed crashes, where they can prevent serious injury. Remember, though, that seatbelts protect you in every kind of crash, at any speed; they should always be used together with your airbag.

While airbags save many lives each year, they don't protect you in every kind of crash. They only deploy in frontal impacts, not rear-end collisions, side impacts (unless your vehicle comes equipped with a side airbag) or in rollovers. Airbags have also been known to deploy in low-speed (10 to 15 km/h) crashes.

Airbags cushion the head as it moves forward after an impact. However, it expands at explosive speed--more than 300 km/h--and opens in 1/20th of a second. As a result, deploying airbags can cause injuries. While most are minor bruises or abrasions, some can be serious or fatal.

People sitting close to the airbag module are the most at risk, as are small children. Adjusting your seat back as far as possible, giving the airbag room to deploy, is the best way to prevent injury. Children should be properly belted, and should ride in the back seat if they're under 12.

Reducing airbag inflation energy, or depowering, is a quick design change that should lower injury risk. In 1996, Chrysler, Ford, and General Motors volunteered to depower driver and passenger airbags in Canada. As well, "smart" airbags equipped with sensors that adjust the inflation energy--based on crash speed and driver/passenger seat position--will also reduce inflation energy risk.

Together with Transport Canada, we're continuing to work with other levels of government, the automotive industry, safety councils, consumer groups and others to keep you informed of the benefits and risks of airbags.You can also receive valuable information on vehicle recalls due to unsafe air bags by visiting the Transport Canada website.

If you have any questions about airbags, please contact Transport Canada's Road Safety information centre at 1-800-333-0371 or our Road Safety department at 1-888-767-7640 (toll free) or 985-7199 in Winnipeg.