There are two types of impact on Air Bags, They are:

Frontal Air Bags, Side Impact Air Bags

Frontal Air Bags

• During moderate to severe frontal crashes, frontal air bags inflate to prevent occupants from hitting the interior of the vehicle.
• Frontal air bags do not eliminate the need for safety belts.
• Occupants who are unbelted or out of position can be seriously injured or killed if they are too close to the air bag module when it deploys.
• Frontal air bags typically do not offer protection in rollovers, side-impact or rear-end crashes.
• Driver and passenger frontal air bags have been required standard equipment in all passenger cars since model year 1998 and in all light trucks, pickups, vans, and SUVs since model year 1999.
• Second generation frontal air bags, also known as "depowered" air bags, were introduced into passenger cars and light trucks, pickups, vans, and SUVs during the 1998 model year.
• Many vehicles on the road today are equipped with earlier generation frontal air bag technologies; motorists should check their vehicle owner's manual to find out what type of air bag system their vehicle has and how it operates.
• Advanced frontal air bags, or 3rd generation, are being phased into new model year 2004 vehicles. All light vehicles will have advanced frontal air bags by model year 2007. Read More....

Side Impact Air Bags

Side air bags (SABs) are inflatable devices that are designed to help protect your head and/or chest in the event of a serious crash involving the side of your vehicle. There are three main types of SABs: chest (or torso) SABs, head SABs and head/chest combination (or “combo”) SABs.

Curtain

Chest (or torso) SABs are mounted in the side of the seat or in the door and are designed to help protect an adult’s chest in a serious side-impact crash.

Tabular

Head SABs are usually mounted in the roof rail above the side windows and are designed to help protect an adult’s head in a side-impact crash. There are two types of head SABs: curtain SABs and tubular SABs. Typically, curtain SABs help protect both front and rear occupants in a side-impact crash; some may also provide protection from ejection if your car rolls over after being struck on the side.

Seat Mounted

Head/chest combination (“combo”) SABs are usually mounted in the side of the seat and are typically larger than chest (or torso) SABs. Combo SABs are designed to help protect both the head and chest of an adult.

Door Mounted

How they work: SABs inflate in a fraction of a second and are designed to help keep your head and/or chest from being hit by hard objects both inside and outside your vehicle in serious side-impact crashes. Sensors determine whether a crash is severe enough to inflate the SABs. Unlike frontal air bags, some of the side curtain air bags may stay inflated for several seconds during a crash for additional protection in the event of a rollover.

Combo

Vehicle can be equipped with both front and side air bags. Frontal air bags have been standard equipment in all passenger cars since model year 1998 and all SUV’s, pickups and vans since model year 1999. SABs are being offered as standard or optional equipment on many new passenger vehicles. Read More....