An Airbag is automobile safety equipment which is a tenant control consist of a flexible cover intended to blow up quickly in an automobile accident, to avoid vehicle tenants from hitting internal items like the steering wheel, window, etc., It is a reactive safety equipment because no action is required by the tenant to activate or use the airbag.

Air Bag Modules

The air bag module consists of the air bag and its inflators.
In a moderate to severe crash, the inflators fill the air bag with harmless gas.
The inflated air bag reduces the chance that an occupant will strike the vehicle's interior during a crash.
The driver frontal air bag is located in the hub of the steering wheel.
The passenger frontal air bag is located in the instrument panel.
Side-impact air bags can be located in the seat back, the door or the overhead roof rail.

Electronic Control Unit

The ECU acts like the brain of the air bag system; it receives signals from the various sensors and decides if and when each air bag should deploy.
The ECU is typically located in the middle of the vehicle, where it is well protected.
In advanced air bag systems, the ECU can also receive inputs from additional sensors that detect occupant weight, seating position, seat belt use and seat position to determine the force with which the frontal air bags should deploy.

Crash Sensors

The crash sensors purpose is to measure how quickly the vehicle slows down in a frontal crash, or is crushed in a side-impact crash, and send those signals to the Electronic Control Unit (ECU).
Crash sensors for frontal crashes can be located in the front of the vehicle near the engine or in the passenger compartment, sometimes in the ECU.
Crash sensors for side-impact crashes can be located in the ECU, in the door, in the doorsill or in the pillar between the front and rear doors.
Severe or panic braking alone cannot cause sufficient force to deploy an air bag.

Air Bag - VIN Number

You would have seen it on your registration papers, and you would have also seen it on your insurance documents, and you have seen it on your title-but what does 2FMZU72E02ZB68591 mean? The reply for this is its your Vehicle Identification Number or “VIN”.

A VIN number is a 17-character alphanumeric identifier or a makers serial number. Each character in this VIN number represents a significant meaning. Jointly, they create a number which tells you everything about the vehicle and its unique history.
Where to Find Your VIN Number

Other Common locations of the vehicle identification number vary and some may be as follows:

- Firewall of the automobile
- Left hand inner wheel arch
- Steering line
- Radiator Support Bracket
- Dash by the windshield
- Drivers door
- Guarantee & Maintenance Book
- Automobile documents
- Machined Pad on front of engine

After a Deployment

The air bag automatically deflates as the gas escapes through vents in the fabric of the air bag. Air bags cannot smother you and don't restrict your movement after the crash.
The whole process of air bag inflation and deflation occurs in less than one second.
The powdery starch or talcum substance used to lubricate the air bag may initially contain small amounts of sodium hydroxide and may cause some temporary minor irritation to the eyes or throat.
Other minor injuries can include abrasions from contact with the fabric of the air bag.
Remember: Air bags cannot be reused—they are a single-use safety restraint.
Do not drive your vehicle until the air bag has been replaced by an authorized repair center.

Air Bag ON - OFF Switch

Most vehicles without rear seats, or with small rear seats, such as pickup trucks or sports cars, have a passenger air bag ON-OFF switch as standard equipment.
The purpose of the switch in the OFF position is to disable the passenger frontal air bag to transport, for example, a child age 12 or under in the right front seating position.
Vehicles with enough space in the rear seat to accommodate a child safety seat are not allowed to have an ON-OFF switch as standard equipment.
Consumers who wish to have an ON-OFF switch installed for either the driver or passenger frontal air bag must apply for an ON-OFF switch.

During a Deployment

When there is a moderate to severe crash, a signal is sent from the Electronic Control Unit (ECU) to the inflator within the air bag module.
An igniter in the inflator starts a chemical reaction that produces a gas that fully inflates the air bag within the blink of an eye, less than 1/20th of a second.
The gas is typically nitrogen or argon and is harmless.
Side-impact air bags inflate even more quickly since there is less space between the occupant and the striking object, such as another vehicle, a tree or a pole.
Because air bags deploy very rapidly, serious or sometimes fatal injuries can occur if the occupant is too close to, or is in direct contact with, the air bag when it first begins to deploy.
Nontoxic cornstarch or talcum powder is often used to aid air bag deployment. It is the "smoke" you may have seen released into a vehicle's interior in demonstrations.