General Motors Corp. recently announced that it will introduce the industry’s first front center airbag. This safety configuration is mainly used to provide protection for the driver on the non-impact side or passengers on the passenger seat when a side impact occurs on the vehicle. The front row of central airbags will be used on some models of the 2013 US market.

The front center airbag is located on the right side of the driver's seat and pops up in the middle of the front seat near the center of the cabin. When the vehicle collides with the front passenger's seat and the front seat is only the driver, this elastic tubular airbag can provide fixed protection for the driver; if there is a passenger in the front passenger's seat when the side collision occurs, the airbag can also slow down the driver. The intensity of collision with the front passengers. The airbag can also play a protective role when a car accident causes a rollover.

According to data provided by the United States National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), GM analyzed the accident report of the models that were launched after the period between 2004 and 2009 and found that the vehicle had a side collision even when wearing a seat belt. It can also cause a considerable part of the deaths of front-row non-impact passengers in car accidents. The data show that 11% of the non-overload accidents have killed the front non-impact passengers who have been wearing seat belts. In all collision accidents, the figure has reached 29%. The front center airbag can effectively prevent these injuries.

The front row of central airbags was developed by General Motors and its technology supplier, Takata Auto Parts Co., after three years of cooperation. During this time, it repeatedly tested many packaging, buffering, and restraining capabilities, and deduced a variety of crash modes and different occupant positions. At present, the front row of central airbags is waiting for a third-party agency to perform a crash test. Adrian Lund, chairman of the U.S. Highway Safety Insurance Association, stated: “The front row of central airbags has practical application value in side impact, and General Motors and Takata’s leading position in this important area is commendable.”

Gay Kent, executive director of vehicle safety and crashworthiness at General Motors, said: “There is no seat safety technology that can cover all parts of the body or prevent all potential injuries. The front center airbag was designed to work with other airbags and seat belts. To provide more comprehensive seat safety protection for passengers in the vehicle."