airbags in cars

Airbags are explosive cushions that deploy in milliseconds to back up seatbelts—think bouncer, not bodyguard.

Modern cars carry front, side, curtain and knee airbags, with sensors deciding when to pop based on how hard and where you’ve been clobbered.

They slash serious injury risk, but only if you wear a seatbelt and sit properly; kids in rearward-facing seats should never ride up front.

Expect a loud bang, a whiff of propellant and some dust after deployment—dramatic, yes, but that’s them doing their job.

If the airbag light’s on, don’t play hero—get it scanned and fixed, because in a crunch you want the bang, not the blank.