Airbags in your car – good or bad

History of the Airbag

By Jkeegan5

  • Beginning of Need of Airbags

    "We can no longer tolerate unsafe automobile s," then President Lyndon B. Johnson said.In the late 1960's, a New Jersey mechanical engineer named Allen K. Breed invented a device that many say gave birth to the airbag industry. Breed invented a reliable, five dollar crash sensor. His crash sensing technology -- the only one of its kind -- is considered the world's first electromechanical automotive airbag system.

  • The Invention of the Airbag

    An accident during a Sunday afternoon trip to the Pennsylvania countryside inspired John W. Hetrick to design one of the most important advances in automobile safety. Hetrick, a retired industrial engineering technician, received a patent in 1953 for what he called a "safety cushion assembly for automotive vehicles." His U.S. Patent No. 2,649,311 was the first prototype for today's modern airbags.

  • Early Airbags

    Ford and General Motors, for example, started experimenting with inflatable restraints in the late 1950's. In 1967, carmaker Mercedes-Benz started to develop airbags for its vehicles. Two developments prompted that move: the rapid increase of accidents during the 1960s, and a new federal law that mandated 'automatic occupant protection systems' for every car in the USA starting in 1969.

  • Airbags Becoming Widespread

    "We can no longer tolerate unsafe automobiles," then President Lyndon B. Johnson said.

  • Invention of Airbag

    Invention of Airbag
    An accident during a Sunday afternoon trip to the Pennsylvania countryside inspired John W. Hetrick to design one of the most important advances in automobile safety. Hetrick, a retired industrial engineering technician, received a patent in 1953 for what he called a "safety cushion assembly for automotive vehicles." His U.S. Patent No. 2,649,311 was the first prototype for today's modern airbags.

  • Early History of AIrbag

    Ford and General Motors, for example, started experimenting with inflatable restraints in the late 1950's. In 1967, carmaker Mercedes-Benz started to develop airbags for its vehicles. Two developments prompted that move: the rapid increase of accidents during the 1960s, and a new federal law that mandated 'automatic occupant protection systems' for every car in the USA starting in 1969.

  • Airbags Today

    Nowadays, airbags are found in just about every car on the road. Since the 1990's, vehicle safety has become the number-one priority of most automobile producers. The car maker Volvo, for example, devotes themselves to creating the safest vehicle possible.

  • Bibliography

    Kevin, Ray. "What Is SRS Airbag System and How Does It Work?" Www.Zentiz.com. N.p., 9 May 2015. Web. 6 Sept. 2016. Hoffman, Press-Register Roy. "Pioneer of Airbags Reflects on Life-saving Invention (photo Gallery)." AL.com. N.p., 11 Dec. 2011. Web. 07 Sept. 2016.