Seat belts have been proven to be effective in saving lives and preventing or lessening injuries in automobile accidents. The key to their success, however, is that occupants must use these safety devices. Because seat belts require active use by the...

An airbag, A.K.A. a Supplementary Restraint System (SRS), an Air Cushion Restraint System (ACRS), or the Supplemental Inflatable Restraint (SIR) (reflecting the airbag system's intended role as a supplement to conventional restraints such as seatbelts)...

Increasing the safety of patrol officers On the mind of many law enforcement agency executives these days is whether to invest in airbag switches for cruisers in order to increase officer safety. Given that airbags are designed to protect vehicle occupants in the...

Automobile airbags had saved more than 1,000 lives and reduced injuries, but they have also caused some deaths and injuries. Wearing a seat belt is the best way to prevent injury. Children should be placed in the back seat. If you graduate in...

Edge: A new mid-size, five-passenger crossover SUV, it shares its underpinnings with the new Lincoln MKX and Ford Fusion. An all-new 3.5-liter V-6 pushes 265 horsepower through a six-speed automatic. Front-wheel drive is standard, with optional four-wheel drive. A huge see-through roof is also on...

The newest spacecraft circling Mars has spotted the landing site of the 1997 Pathfinder probe, including what appears to be its discarded protective shell and parachute, and possibly its rover Sojourner.The view beamed back by the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter should give scientists details about Pathfinder's...

Since they were patented in 1968 and gained widespread acceptance in the 1970s, airbags have been valued for their ability to save lives in the event of an automobile accident. New cars were required to have both driver- and passenger-side airbags as of 1998, and airbags are now being used in car doors. An understanding of how an airbag works, as well as various present-day applications of airbags (such as air jackets for motorcycles) indicate that the lifesaving technology behind airbags is here to stay.

Essay provides an exploration of the science that makes airbags work.