Airbags in cars: Of crash sensors and rocket fuel

Lightning-fast helper in an emergency: the driver’s airbag deploys in a fraction of a second. — Photos: Mercedes Benz AG/dpa

There's the squeal of tyres, the crash of breaking glass, and then the airbag immediately inflates. The now ubiquitous safety device that protects the head and upper body in a car crash first made its appearance in vehicles half a century ago.

This is how it works: sensors register a collision and trigger a propellant charge that causes a textile bag to instantly inflate with compressed air, cushioning the head.