Hyundai develops a side airbag

Airbags have help reduce injuries in typical front and side impact crashes. But there is another area where drivers and their passengers can sustain severe injuries. David Brown reports on a new airbag from Hyundai.

The Hyundai Motor Group has developed a new centre side airbag which deploys into the space between driver and passenger seats to prevent head clashes injuries of passengers in the front row. If there is no one in the front passenger seat, the airbag will protect the driver from side collisions. The centre side airbag is installed inside the driver’s seat.

The new airbag is expected to reduce head injuries caused by passengers colliding with each other by 80%. According to the European Automobile Manufacturers’ Association’s statistics, the rate of secondary damage caused by these kinds of collisions or from hitting interior materials is about 45%.