SAVING FACE

The article describes the introduction of the first production-model air bags on American cars by the Ford Motor Ccompany. The air bags, only for the driver's position, are being orffered as options in the Tempo and the Mercury Topaz sedans. The working of these air bags is described: it takes only 15 milli seconds to detect the crash and energize the circuit, and it takes an additional 40 milliseconds to deploy. However, air bags are designed to function as additional protection with the primary protection from the seat belt.

• Corporate Authors:

  US Air Force Inspection and Safety, Center

  Norton AFB, CA  United States  92409
• Publication Date: 1986-4

Media Info

• Pagination: p. 8-10
• Serial:
  • Driver
  • Volume: 19
  • Issue Number: 11
  • Publisher: US Air Force Inspection and Safety, Center

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Air bags; Manual safety belts
• Identifier Terms: Ford Motor Company
• Subject Areas: Safety and Human Factors;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00495939
• Record Type: Publication
• Source Agency: National Highway Traffic Safety Administration
• Report/Paper Numbers: HS-039 964
• Files: HSL, USDOT
• Created Date: Aug 31 1990 12:00AM