I survived a horrible head-on collision thanks to airbags. I was in the passenger seat and felt intense pain in my chest (from the seatbelt), shins (legs probably hit the glove compartment), and back of the head (from hitting the headrest) after coming to from the impact (I had a bad concussion). I never expected the car seat to unlock and go all the way forward in a car accident, so I would've been severely injured, disfigured, or dead if not for airbags. Recovery from the accident took well over a year. Lots of hospital visits and physical therapy. I hope anyone reading this never gets into a severe car accident, because my brain feels like it hasn't been the same ever since. It's been over a decade now since that car accident.

Makes you wonder what other safety features we’ve never heard off because they hurt company profits

There WAS controversy decades ago. There should be no controversy anymore. Side airbags in particular cab be the difference between life and death (or serious head injuries) in the same model vehicle that used to offer them as an option, or on some trim levels.

I’d rather have a broken nose from a airbag than multiple broken ribs etc. from hitting the steering column

Similar story with seat belts... once upon a time, no car had a seat belt. Then someone came alone and said "hey, maybe it would be good if people in car accidents did not fly through the wind shield" and then the controversy started...

This reminds me of the seat belt controversies where people didn't want to be mandated to wear seat belts. Among other things, they said their car had airbags, so they didn't need to wear seatbelts...

I can also say that as a survivor of an intersection accident, they also deploy extremely fast. I didn't even know what happened because the deployment of the steering wheel air bag happened in literally a blink of an eye.

In my accident the front, side, seat, and knee airbag went off and I had absolutely zero bruising. It’s also good idea to sit at the appropriate distance from the steering wheel and arm placement.

The new Honda designed airbag is very interesting. Good job, Honda.

Interesting how they went from Waaahhh! No airbags!! To "let's put in 13 additional, optional airbags and try hugging the passenger, too"

Cars today are safer than before.Pity we havent improved our driving standards.....

The fact of the matter is you're more safe with an airbag in your vehicle for any accident.

The irony that one of the main opponents against the installation of airbags in vehicles was the same man responsible for bringing to production one of the most dangerous vehicles ever made (*Pinto*). Yet, Lee Iacocca has still been celebrated as an automotive great because of the more successful iconic cars he brought to production. I'll be at, I'll give credit where credit is due, he still turned a blind eye and a deaf ear to the lives and well-being of thousands of people for the sake of profits and monetary gain, as well as notoriety and influential power. That sounds quite familiar, unfortunately...

I have have a project that is due tomorrow that I haven't starred but here I am, learning the history of airbags

What about how all the Takata factories and executives remain after the merger but all the US key safety systems facilities are shut down?

Controversy? For thirty years after seat belts were mandated I was still hearing how being thrown from a car saved a life.

Just another proof that we can't let companies do this by themself, we need regulators. They will always choose profits over human lives.

Small drivers, mostly women, are far more likely to be seriously hurt by airbags because they sit much closer to the dashboard and steering wheel to reach the pedals. As someone who's 5 feet, I worry about it all the time. A man was hit so hard in the face he had a dozen broken bones and lost an eye. After I saw that documentary I never wanted a car with an airbag again, but unless you buy an antique from the old days, you can't get away from it. I don't want any touch screens, GPS, Bluetooth, back up cameras either, but again, good luck. Adds an unnecessary ten or twenty thousand dollars to the price of a vehicle for crap I don't even want or need

what i learned from this video is the size of the airbag determines how safe a car is. i never realized how safe my old car was until watching this. it had the biggest airbag in the world in the front seat -- on Sundays my ex-mother in law would ride to church with us...

2:15 "Crash test..." Dummy in corner: "Hey, my break isn't over yet."

I survived a head on collision with a truck because of this fluffy boii.

4:14 what year is this footage from? no crash barrier on the side of the road?

Takata airbags, made to the same high standards as the MCAS system on a Boeing 737 max!

The history should also include the idea that seatbelts weren't going to be needed as the airbag would suffice.

Crazy just how long they can work. I went to a junkyard a few weeks ago and saw a 1995 Ford F-150. It’s front end was completely torn apart and it was smashed inwards and slightly buckled on the drivers side, yet when I looked inside I could see it’s 30 year old airbag had still deployed.

What is never mentioned is that deployment in a minor situation where it is NOT needed to prevent injury or death can and does at times turn a minor situation into a much more serious one. I’ve seen this in a number of instances. A car rolled because of the effect of slamming the driver in the face causing him to lose control. The classic case is a deer hit. Clearly considering the urban concentration of people, there are more positive outcomes by far than negative ones. But the negatives are NEVER documented or reported…ever!

A big problem with airbags is that they are LOUD. Like, pushing 170 decibels. I know people who have have survived an accident because of airbags, only to get life-ruining tinnitus due to the noise. As someone with tinnitus myself I am considering ripping the blasted things out. I wish airbag designers would acknowlege and fix this gaping problem.

how did CNBC managed to make a video titled the controversy with airbags and not talk about the only current controversy with airbags. The current (and only) controversy in regards to airbags is whether we should be using knee airbags, which protect passengers who are not using seat belts, but cause are slightly more dangerous to passengers using seat belts.

When I first got my license my first vehicle was was 1993 Ford Ranger, no airbags. As a kid my mother had a 1985 Buick regal, no airbags and I remember her also owning an early to mid 80s Oldsmobile station wagon. As a result I thought airbags were a waste of money only installed to make the automakers richer , because that's why cars have seat belts My attitude towards airbags changed, 5 years ago, when a driver in a minivan blew a stop sign, and I T boned the driver while driving approx 60 mph in my 2013 Ford Focus, front and side airbags deployed, had my seat belt properly buckled The minivan driver was not wearing a seat belt, was believed to have been distracted by a cell phone, and sadly deceased after flipping in a ditch and being ejected. I was off work for about a month, had many sprains and pulled muscles in my back and legs, along with whiplash injuries, and made many visits to the chiropractor after returning to work. however no broken bones and no long-term injuries. The point is, today's cars are much safer than the cars I grew up with and learned on. Crumple zones and airbags, together with seat belts, can greatly reduce severity of injuries and fatalities

Is this new way advertising of companies Well uts good to know honda offers more airbags then normal family sedans

Iacocca plays the same character here as he played in the "Ford vs Ferrari". I hate this man

I honestly thought that airbags were introduced in cars sometime in the mid 80's

The point is, people will always complain about newer safety feautures only available on the higher end, more expensive models. There was a lawsuit on Jeep because someone crashed a lower end Jeep onto a stationary car and a child was killed. They sue Chrysler because the auto braking feature was only standard on the more expensive model and not the model that crashed. There's no way manufacturers can make all safety features available across all trims of their cars. Higher priced trims will always get better technology including better safety features. To demand manufacturers to include all safety features on all their cars is unreasonable.

Dave Letterman tested an airbag on his show. They brought in a car onstage, a convertible I think. Dave sat in the car and, after some comedy prattle, they fired the bag. It was over in an instant and was absolutely dumbfounded. He was not at all prepared for this intense of an experience.

5:04 Can we all just take a moment to appreciate that mint Impulse!!

The problem i see as a auto technician is these people sit Tooooooo close the the wheel like literaly 2 inches off the wheel. The airbag deploys that close its going to break your neck. For them to work accordingly you must sit the proper distance away from the airbag. Typically about 12inches. The air bag deploys at over 300mph and over 300°f. They are an explosive device. They are dangerous if not properly used aka sitting in your vehicle incorrectly. Saves lives of those who understand to sit properly and operate a vehicle.

As a small person that sits very close to the steering wheel, the idea of the airbag deploying scares me the most when it comes to accidents. Imagine dying from a fender bender, embarrassing.

In the wake of COVID I'm left curious about how people weight their relative risks to things. I hadn't noticed that, in a practical sense, a person's tolerance for risk varies quite so greatly between topics.

1. This history lesson shows how corporations just seek profit first and foremost. 2. The government and regulators are a critical piece of the puzzle. 3. Corporations will use their money to spread propaganda to shift public opinion in their favor. 4. The people who claimed "freedom" was their motivation for not backing life-saving measures, didn't think you first need to be alive to be free

The crashtest footage confuses me. Why do the seatbelts move so much? They don't retain the dummies at all...

There were a decent amount of Japanese cars in 1970. Those early airbags were ok but it is definitely a good thing the mandate got shot down. They were still really expensive and also not perfected. They deployed way faster than modern airbags and sometimes crushed people to death, especially shorter people. Mandating them would have also substantially increased the cost of cars when the economy was already not doing so well.

Ford also released one of the most infamous and dangerous road cars ever, as the result of a $10 upgrade per car that was too expensive to include.

I met with an accident. Got out without a single scratch thanks to airbag and seat belt. Nasty crash but saved my life or at least left me with 0 injury.

This title is very misleading.

Chinese brand NIO has the passenger airbag deploy from the roof to help with providing extra protection and also prevent glass from the windshield possibly harming the passenger. It is patented by NIO as well and can be viewed on the NIO crash test that were conducted by EuroNCAP.

There was a movie from the 90s Demolition Man and I remember them showing a vehicle crash into a Fountain and the Vehicle deployed Liquid Foam that Harded to something like Styrofoam

My Chevy Trax had multiple air bags. Drive and passenger of course but side curtain and seat side air bags.

Based on personal experience, I'm a fan of airbags.

Interesting - looks like I'll have these if I ever buy a car newer than 1997 ....

Those early air bags into the 90s weren't all that safe. They had a significantly more violent single stage deployment than current multi-stage air bags and in most cases with those older cars you'd fair better with just a seat belt. Only in total loss (unrepairable) crashes would you want one of those deploying.

Im not Suprised, but disappointed all tje same that the IIHS wasnt in this. They really helped pioneer and change the Industry over the past 30 years. They are the reason side airbags are everywhere, and why protection has gotten so good

Good 👍. Keep it up 👏🏻

I’ve always had older vehicles and have been in 2 major wrecks and 1 minor wreck but thankfully still have not had an airbag deploy for me. I was once tboned with no side airbags and my vehicle was totaled as well as the person who hit me with her front airbag that deployed. Then someone cut me off while I was going 70mph and to avoid rear ending them I swerved around them and took out 2 signs, however it just took out my bumper and it just missed the airbag sensor and his vehicle was newer but his side airbags didn’t deploy. I fixed the grill and bumper but unfortunately 5 months later I was in a rollover wreck and the vehicle was totaled. I was driving when I went over a patch of black ice and I started to roll several times down a steep ditch until the drivers side door struck a giant tree. The drivers door was jammed shut and there was a lot of intrusion near my feet as well as by my head. I even hit my head against the door frame and window, and I did get the wind knocked out of me when I struck the tree. However my vehicle still was old enough that it didn’t come with any side airbags but I was still able to walk away without any scratches except for being sore 🤷‍♂️ My current vehicle is even older now that actually didn’t even do good in the IIHS crash test 😂 however I will admit regardless of the crashes I’ve been in, I still haven’t been in a full frontal but that to me I think is still the scariest than being in a rollover wreck. I can handle being jolted around violently even for 5 seconds which is how long I was being jolted around when I rolled over, but the thought of hitting something head on and having a loud airbag inflate in my face a split second before my face hits it is something i don’t want to experience lmao

Seeing this I realise how far behind we in the UK were behind the US regaring safety. In the 70s we didn't always have seatbelts and there was no mention of airbags at all. The seatbelts in cars were often only in the front and had to be set up to the individual so if you got in as a guest the seatbelt was either faffed with or left as it was and did virtually nothing.

5:30 Ahhh… the good ole days.

I’m not a Big fan of airbags, when I was younger an airbag burned my entire face, blinded me for 3 days, and broke my nose. It took 6months for my face to heal and look normal again, my eyes however had permanent damage and I’ve had to wear glasses or contacts since.

Well done. One major innovation not noted is Tesla. Their OTA updates includes continually tweaking the airbag firing algorithms to improve safety based on evolving fleet data. This also includes taking into account the size and seating position of the passenger. Just one more benefit of software-driven vehicles and OTA technologies.

7:59 pretty important on how airbags work. Some chemicals and gas

Thats why i drive a 1959 corvette. No air bags, no seatbelts, no problem.

Honestly most of the tech in cars isnt needed but I fw airbags

Ppl really argued against airbags??? Who am I kidding I'm not surprised

3 or 4 years ago my 2007 Mustang was recalled to replace the gas cylinder of the driver's airbag, because some of them obviously exploded instead of filling the airbag. Fair enough, it got replaced. Last year I got another recall, this time for the passenger airbag, same problem, perhaps the same gas cylinder, but since there's not always a passenger in the car it probably took them 2 more years until the passenger death count got high enough. wtf?!? I'm not against airbags at all btw.

To sum this up. Airbags are good but they can help all the time. 'Sometimes' they are designed bad not including for the safety of women and children. On airbag maker had massiv issues with malfunctions on the airbags so that they caused accidents. Those are mostly taken out of service now.

I have severe tinnitus and I really fear airbag deployment. They are too loud for my damaged ears.

There's a perfectly good alternative to air bags your mother-in-law and has been available since the Model T.

I can’t imagine a world without airbags! The people who were involved in a wreck wouldn’t be here today if it weren’t for that invention of head protection!

Nice video.

Love the glove

What about making air bags for cars that deploy outside? It keeps cars from damage in the first place. Bumpers, sides etc. It may protect cars from damage in the first place.

Air bags evolved and were made to better save lives. Gone are the days of false sensor triggered inflations or use of ultra toxic hydrazine/nitrogen tetroxide charges.

As far as seatbelt safety goes I highly recommend the correct seating position aswell. To close and it’ll feel like the punching bag punched YOU right in the dome. I speak from experience with that one. Knocked me out. To far back and I believe it can cause whiplash bouncing between the headrest and airbag. Either way, sit correctly in the car!

Just give everyone bucket seats and 5 point harnesses

Insane how cooperate greed is really the only reason something as important as safety is debated over. They do make an excuse to justify higher profits

Would have been cool to make cars harder to crash instead of making them crash better 🤷‍♂️

there were some Japanese cars sold in the US in 1970 I.E. Datsun Sunny Toyota Corolla Toyota Celica etc. the Corolla started getting popular in the 1973-74 model years due to the Arab gas embargo that began in October 73 when the embargo hit my late maternal grandmother drove a 72 Oldsmobile Delta 88 and grandpa drove a 72 Oldsmobile 98 hardtop Coupe both had a 24 gallon gas tank and each paid about 13 bucks a week to fill the tank they traded the 72s in for 75s in September of 74 grandma bought a Ford Granada which she hated and traded in in 78 for a 79 Cadillac Coupe Deville My mom had a yellow Subaru for several years when I was younger can't remember what model she had

I drove a honda crx hf for years, no air bags. Finally bought an s2000 with airbags. Seeing all the tuner kids remove rhe factory wheel breaks my heart.

Investing in cryptocurrency is the best way of getting ahead to build wealth, investing remains a priority. The stock market has plenty of opportunities to earn a decent payouts, with the right skills and proper understanding of how the market works.

We’ve missed you narrator

Well, in Europe we basically went from not even hearing about airbags... To everyone wanting one, over night and that is it. I don't remember anyone questioning their safety....then again, seat belts were already mandatory and used widely so airbags worked much better

Next: The Seat Belt Controversy

I'd never buy a second hand car without a air bag. Saved my life when I blacked out and ran off the road and flipped multiple times.

Phew.. i thought you was telling me now that it doesnt help.

it doesn't matter if there is controversy air bags will not go anywhere just like seatbelts they will always be around.

1:42 Cars are safe. Drivers are not.

Airbags are a controversy now?

easiest way to achieve zero car deaths is for there to be zero card, but i guess we can't have better methods of transportation if it hurts profits

Nothing better than a seat belt

It’s too late, we will be like Venezuela this year. What lawsuits - never get to court.

Curtain airbags probably saved my neck (literally) when I was in an accident.

I’ve come face to face with an air bag at 55 mph to 0 in an instant and I walked away without a scratch.

with all the airbags at this point it might be easier to just wear a driving suit that inflates around you james bond style...

I'd prob be dead if it wasn't for the airbag. My mom rear ended someone when I was younger... I didn't have a seatbelt on and flew forward into the airbag that deployed. Ever since then I ALWAYS wear a seatbelt lol

If at properly sitting distance a air bag isn't needed if wearing seat belt. Now if you're one of those people hugging the steering wheel then yes they help-but you are at the improper seating position.

The overuse of possibly unnecessary safety equipment along with making everything digital is the main reason we can't go out and buy a band new car that gets well above 30 mpg for under 10,000 dollars, meanwhile none of that applies to motorcycles because everyone knows vehicles are inherently dangerous and that the consumer understands the risk and is willing to take it.

8:55 editor where are you?? All modern cars have these occupancy sensors!!

My 1998 Honda Accord has airbags

You should be able to buy a car with or without airbags. They shouldn't be required.

Didn't answer what happens to your hands if they are on top of the steering wheel...

India now requires 6 airbags in cars

So let me get this straight. Is the Senior Research Engineer at the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety saying that airbags DON'T deploy as seen in (comedy) movies like Naked Gun and Dumb and Dumber???