Future Safety Improvements

It seems like air bags are sprouting from just about everywhere inside cars. And if they help keep your body from hitting hard objects during a collision, they're doing their job. But, there's always room for improvement. Right now (and in the foreseeable future) the emphasis on safety equipment is to make it "smarter."

The most recent advancement in safety equipment is known as a smart air bag. These air bags can deploy with different speeds and pressures, depending on the weight and seating position of the occupant, and also on the intensity of the crash.

Unfortunately, sometimes the deployment of an air bag can cause serious injury and even death to the driver or passenger. The new technology in advanced frontal air bag systems is designed to reduce this possible risk and to enhance the performance of the air bag itself. The implementation of this new technology is being taken seriously -- so much so that an amendment has been made to the Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard No. 208. This amendment requires that, over the next few years, manufacturers install this new air bag system in all their new model vehicles intended for sale, so that by September 1, 2005 all 2006 Model vehicles will be equipped with the system.

Advanced Frontal Airbags
According to NHTSA, these vehicles are either currently certified to the advanced frontal air bag requirements or, at some point on or before September 1, 2004, will be certified to the advanced frontal air bag requirements.
  • BMW 525i, 530i, 545i
  • BMW 645Ci & 645Ci convertible
  • BMW X3 (2.5i & 3.0i)
  • BMW Z4 roadster (2.5i & 3.0i)
  • Dodge Durango
  • Jeep Liberty
  • Ford Escape
  • Ford F-150
  • Ford Taurus/Sable
  • Mazda 3
  • Mazda Tribute
  • Mazda MPV
  • Jaguar S-TYPE
  • Jaguar XJ
  • Jaguar X-TYPE
  • Cadillac Escalade
  • Cadillac Escalade EXT
  • Cadillac Escalade ESV
  • Chevrolet Avalanche
  • Chevrolet Silverado
  • Chevrolet Suburban
  • Chevrolet Tahoe
  • GMC Yukon, Yukon XL, Yukon Denali, Yukon XL Denali
  • GMC Sierra
  • Honda Accord
  • Honda Odyssey
  • Acura MDX
  • Hyundai Elantra
  • Kia LD
  • Mitsubishi Galant
  • Nissan Pathfinder Armada
  • Nissan Quest
  • Nissan Titan (King Cab & Crew Cab)
  • Subaru Legacy
  • Subaru Outback
  • Suzuki Grand Vitara XL-7
  • Lexus RX330
  • Lexus ES330
  • Toyota Camry
  • Toyota Highlander
  • Volkswagen New Beetle
  • Volkswagen New Beetle Convertible
Source: National Highway Traffic Safety Administration

In the future, we'll see seatbelts that will also sense the weight and position of occupants and adjust the tension and maximum force accordingly.

Technology is enabling carmakers to design and manufacture safer, smarter vehicles, and consumers clearly endorse this trend as reflected in buying patterns. It may take wrecking lots of cars and crash test dummies, but the information gained from automotive crash tests means you and your loved ones may survive an automobile accident with little or no injury.