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first invented
an industrial engineer by the name of John Wenrick was the first person to start developing the technology for safety devices like the airbag -
prototyping
Mercedes began prototyping airbags to be used in their vehicles. -
Period: to
Testing Airbags
Ford and General Motors started to test airbags -
Seat belts/Airbags
The Carter Administration mandated that all cars must be manufactured with either automatic seat belts or air bags by model year 1984 -
Period: to
commercial
“commercial” airbags are introduced -
Required
The United States government passed a law saying that any cars manufactured after that date would be required to come equipped with an airbag system. -
Driver side airbags
Mercedes Benz “S-class” is the first production car with driver side airbags. -
Advances in technology
NHTSA is working on upgrading side-impact safety standards for all passenger vehicles -
more advances
BMW has also been at the forefront of advanced airbag technology. Its 7 Series was an early adopter of knee airbags, which protect the legs and help the driver avoid sliding down and forward during a crash -
future of device
Sometime in 2012 controversial on/off switches of passenger side airbags -
Head airbag
looks a little like a big sausage and, unlike other airbags, is designed to stay inflated for about five seconds to offer protection against second or third impacts -
Curtain Airbag
Another option for head protection in side impacts