The inflatable seat belts have two advantages: First, they spread the crash force over a wider area of the body, potentially reducing the risk of injury to the chest. Second, deployment of the bag tightens the belt, reducing forward movement and reducing the potential for head injury.
Ford has done extensive testing with the belts to confirm their potential to reduce crash forces and movement—reducing the potential for injury to the head and chest. The testing included child-sized dummies and small adult cadavers in a variety of positions that may be of concern, including simulated sleeping children, positions when the head is lying on the belts, and conditions where the belts were positioned under the arms.
The belts inflate across the chest using compressed gas stored in a small canister. Once a small charge breaks the seal of the canister, the gas deploys the airbag. This is a cold gas system. It actually feels cold or cool to the touch, not hot, as a pyrotechnically charged front airbag system would be.
The bag is designed to stay inflated for about 6 seconds, unlike a front-seat airbag which deflates immediately. As a result, the inflated belt offers the potential to maintain its benefits during longer crash events, such as rollovers.
My station nickname is Smitty. I am a Paid on Call Firefighter for the Wixom Fire Department. I hold Michigan State certification as a Firefighter I/II, Hazmat Operations, Trench Rescue Operations, and NREMT EMT-B Certification and a State License.
