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AIR BAGS.
Term Paper ID:23359
Essay Subject:
Use in auto safety, technology, deployment, regulation, role of govt., legal, political & economic aspects.... More...
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Paper Abstract:
Use in auto safety, technology, deployment, regulation, role of govt., legal, political & economic aspects.
Paper Introduction:
Introduction
Safety in the automobile is an issue that automakers face only when they have to. With rare exceptions, car manufacturers do not take the initiative in including safety equipment because they argue that doing so increases the costs of cars and decreases their market share. Automakers argued against the requirement that seat belts be standard equipment for these reasons, and argued against including air bags for the same reasons. Yet air bags have become commonplace in automobiles, and are likely to be standard equipment in most cars before the end of the century. In addition to systems which help minimize injuries in front impact collisions, air bags are being developed which can minimize injury in side impact collisions and even keep freight protected. This research examines how air bags work and how they have been impleme
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This causes auto manufacturers some concern because there is theissue of potential product liability lawsuits. These situations have caused auto manufacturers toreconsider the triggering mechanisms and deployment mechanisms associatedwith air bag use in order to minimize their financial liability when airbags deploy inappropriately. 7 seconds). Thisis the most promising of the new technologies (Winter "Air Bags" 41.). ICI accomplished this by using a smallerparticle size which results in faster burn rates and less smoke. In response to these statistics, the National Highway Traffic SafetyAdministration (NHTSA) instituted a side-door strength amendment to itsfederal motor vehicle safety standards. Economic Considerations Replacing supplemental restraint systems following a collisions is anexpensive process, with costs at retail repair facilities exceeding $1 in some cases (Winter "Recycling" 26). The bag is stored in the driver's seat at approximately the heightof the upper arm. "Air Bags." Automotive Marketing (May 1995): 48-5 .Demmler, Al. Most of the propellants considered produce toxic byproducts whenburning, for example, and few are as reliable as sodium azide. AORC membersare also working with government regulators and industry representatives todevelop an electronic tag that can be attached to the inflator and whichwould identify inflators at shredder sites (scrap yards) that have not beendeployed. New air bags can costthousands of dollars; as a result, salvaging intact air bag modules andreusing them as repair parts has gained acceptance in the auto repairindustry. Recycling is a key part of the economics of air bags, and also animportant consideration as political pressure is brought to bear on makingmore products, including those that save lives, recyclable. When sodium azide in a solid statecomes in contact with water, it becomes a hazardous carcinogen. For example, a Japanese spinningcompany (Toyobo) has begun shipping a new nylon cloth for air bags thateliminates the need for a silicone coating. The result can be a broken neck. Each time the engine is started, the self-diagnostic process takes place and a warning light on the instrument panelis lit if there is a problem. Many manufacturers also require replacing the actuating sensors,and some even recommend replacement of the electronic control module.Since deployment occurs only with a collision of significant impact,replacement of air bag components is usually part of the general collisionrepair process, and has typically been handled by professional body repairfacilities. As with seat belts, the federalgovernment stepped in to require that SRS systems be standard equipment inall cars by 1998, and in light trucks by 1999. The Air Bag System Although the term "air bag" is used in normal conversation, theregulatory agencies and vehicle manufacturers tend to call it a"supplemental restraint system" (SRS) or "supplemental inflatablerestraint" system (SIR) in most written references. As with any otherphysical component, a few are likely to develop faults or exhibitmanufacturing defects no matter how careful the manufacturing process. However, acommon placement is in the front passenger seat so that the driver (usuallya parent) can keep an eye on the baby or comfort it if necessary. The Automotive Occupant Restraint Council (AORC) and other industryorganizations are working to develop standard procedures for quicklyidentifying vehicles equipped with air bags in scrap yards and safelydeploying inflator modules before they can become a problem. "Air Bags: The Next Step." Ward's Auto World (May 1994): 37-38.Sorge, Marjorie. There areother problems, however, in addition to the sodium azide. Consequently, nearly all air bag systems include self-diagnostic capabilities. Almost instantly, itscushioning job finished, it begins to deflate through filters in theinflator module. Also,smaller drivers (particularly women) can suffer injury even when air bagsdeploy correctly and appropriately because they are located closer to thesteering mechanism. In 1993, morethan 24, people were killed in passenger car accidents; 3 percent ofthese were killed in side impact collisions, which injured another 24, individuals (Keenan 37). By 1997, every passenger carsold in the United States must meet this test (Keenan 37). Government regulations are also driving development of side-mountedair bags (side impact collisions are the second leading cause of injury anddeath in automobile collisions) (Winter "Recycling" 26). Othersproduce too much smoke, are unable to withstand the extreme environmentalconditions to which automobiles are subjected, or produce a haze thatirritates the eyes or throat after deploying. Standard air bag systems deploy only in the case of frontal impacts.Here, "frontal" impact means any impact where the angle of collision iswithin 3 degrees of the vehicle's centerline. Rear-facing child safety seats are commonconfigurations for seats designed for infants. Types of impact which might occur include flipping over oradditional chain collisions from the rear. Because of thismanufacturers and suppliers are trying to discourage the practice, buteconomic necessity sometimes makes this attractive to some repair shops. In fact,because of the nature of air bag deployment, seat belts must protect frontseat passengers against harm from any impacts that follow the initialfrontal impact. The reason that sodium azide was selected as the propellant in thefirst place was because other alternatives simply did not meet the manyrequirements that manufacturers had; most of these requirements were inanticipation of the highly litigious environment in which cars are soldtoday. This has led to somelitigation involving child seat manufacturers, auto makers andmanufacturers of SRS systems. One such system uses a heated gas inflator which combines hydrogen andair in a miniature scuba-tank bottle. Because of these concerns, work is underway on inflators whichdo not depend on sodium azide. Moreover, air bag systems that are faulty represent a significantrisk, whether from unexpected deployment, or from failure to deploy in acollision. If the warning light comes on, drivers aresupposed to take their vehicle to a qualified technician for a completediagnosis to ensure that the system is working properly. However, despitethe fact that the SRS systems save lives, there are serious issues thatneed to be taken into account when considering their effectiveness. When the sodium azide burns in an SRS deployment, it generatesharmless nitrogen gas. In a case where the vehicle's deceleration does not continue toincrease, as when the bumper contacts a parking barrier at low speed, thearming sensor merely resets itself, with no further consequence. Because SRS systems onlyprovide protection in frontal impacts, protection in all other types ofaccidents must be provided by the seat belt and shoulder harness. More than 1 million vehicles are scrapped each year in the United States, which meansthat the number of air bags that are scrapped with these vehicles willincrease each year as the number of air bags in American automobilesincreases (Winter "Air Bags" 41). Introduction Safety in the automobile is an issue that automakers face only whenthey have to. Role of Government Supplemental restraint systems, like seat belts, were slow to beadopted by the automotive industry. Currently, scrap operators solve the problem of dealing with thesodium azide in undeployed modules by simply deploying them or removing theair bag modules and reselling them. These requirements includeboth driver-side and passenger-side air bags. If themagnitude of the deceleration continues to grow until it trips the impactsensor as well as the arming sensor (indicating a real collision), then theair bag deployment sequence continues. Thenitrogen gas flows into the air bag, inflating it. "Air Bag Nylon." Automotive Engineering (May 1994): 6 .Keenan, Tim. This is not a problem in air bags which have deployedbecause the sodium azide burns off and is not included in the scrap metal. SRS suppliers are also reconsidering the use of sodium azide as apropellant. However, ICI Explosives has developed a new blending process for itssodium azide propellant which it says is more recyclable andenvironmentally friendly. With rare exceptions, car manufacturers do not take theinitiative in including safety equipment because they argue that doing soincreases the costs of cars and decreases their market share. In additionto systems which help minimize injuries in front impact collisions, airbags are being developed which can minimize injury in side impactcollisions and even keep freight protected. The driver's side air bag inflator module containing theair bag itself is located in the steering wheel. "Recycling Air Bags Shapes Up as Next Big Challenge." Ward's Auto World (February 1994): 26-27.---. Conclusion Supplemental restraint systems are the latest technological innovationin automobiles, an innovation which is the first since the safety belt tobe required by the federal government in all vehicles. Passenger air baginflator modules are located in a compartment in the dashboard, usuallyidentified with an embossed (raised) or debossed (indented) SRS or SIR logo(Arnold 48). When thefront passenger air bag deploys in a collision, the baby can be pushed intothe front passenger seat by the exploding air bag hitting the back of thechild seat. Inaddition, the ICI propellant is easier to handle and recycle since it canbe retrieved from undeployed inflators without having to chemically orcombustibly destroy it, as is now the case (Winter "Air Bags" 41). The closing of the impact sensor's contacts sends a signal to theelectronic control module, which interprets the signal and responds bysending a trigger current to the deployment module. The main concern associated with recycling air bags is the sodiumazide used to inflate most air bags. These seats offer the mostprotection when they are placed in the middle of the back seat, which iswhere most car seat manufacturers recommend placing them. Recycling is also an issue,with the propellant used to create the air bag deployment a major recyclingconcern. Automakersargued against the requirement that seat belts be standard equipment forthese reasons, and argued against including air bags for the same reasons.Yet air bags have become commonplace in automobiles, and are likely to bestandard equipment in most cars before the end of the century. One of the problems with supplemental restraint systems arises whenchildren are involved. However, since side supplemental restraint systems needto deploy in less than half the time as front air bags, sensing andtriggering devices need to be considerably more accurate and reliable(Keenan 37). Another issue associated with recycling air bags is the concept ofreusing air bags, which is economically driven. In the short-term, a manual cut-off switchis being considered so that parents would be able to disable the SRS whenthere is a child in the front passenger seat; the cost of developing thisswitch and implementing it will be passed on to car buyers (Sorge 43). This effectively cutsproduction costs by 3 to 4 percent and makes the air bags easier torecycle (Demmler 6 ). Once an air bag has deployed, the bag and its inflator module must bereplaced. In its solid state, however, it is considered toxicbecause it can affect blood pressure and can cause cancer if ingested. The supplemental restraint system typically consists of the air bagand its deployment mechanism, one or more impact sensors (usually locatedat the front of the vehicle on or around the radiator supports), an armingsensor that may be under the hood or behind the dash, and an electroniccontrol unit. "Air Bags Brace for Impact." Ward's Auto World (June 1995 : 41. That, in turn, ignites pellets of sodium azide, which isa chemical that releases a large volume of nitrogen gas as it burns. According to engineers at Saab, the entire sequence takesonly about 7 milliseconds ( . However, with the number of air bagsystems increasing dramatically, deployment will not be the only reasonthat system components will need to be serviced. This technique reduces costs by 2 percent and weighs up to 4 percent less than traditional inflators. "Parental Warning: Air Bags Can Kill Kids." Ward's Auto World (May 1994): 43.Winter, Drew. Innovation continues in this field, both in creating moreeffective air bags, in making them safer to use, and in finding ways tomanufacture them that render them environmentally friendly. Litigation has also arisen from drivers and passengers who have beensubject to injury when air bags deploy and there is no collision. Economics of air bag design and construction also extend to thematerials that are used in SRS systems. The electrical current in most units heats a squib located in theinflator module. This terminology,particularly the use of the term "supplemental" reinforces the idea thatair bags are intended to be used in conjunction with other restraintsystems, such as seat belts and lap harnesses. How the SRS Works While systems vary from one manufacturer to the next in terms of thelocation of components, the number of impact sensors, and the exact type ofinflation mechanism, the typical supplemental restraint system beginsdeployment when an impact causes the vehicle to decelerate sharply.Initially, this closes the normally open contacts in the arming sensor,which, in turn, assures that voltage is present at the impact sensors.The arming sensor is always set at a lower threshold than the impactsensor, so that its contacts close first. Recognizing that recyclability is an issue with SRS systems, someautomakers and suppliers have already made progress in this area.Materials used for driver-side air bag doors and the bags themselves haveundergone alteration to ease recycling efforts and the steel and aluminumstructural material of air bag modules is already extensively recycled bysuppliers. Works CitedArnold, Ted. There are dangers associated with bothof these options, and the dangers associated with deploying air bags inother than a collision environment include the very real risk of injury tothe worker. Undeployed air bags also cause concernbecause the sodium azide dust associated with the bags can be included inthe items that are sent to landfills where the dust can contaminate workersand the environment. Political and Legal Issues As already noted, the federal government has assumed a large role inrequiring that supplemental restraint systems be standard equipment forfront collisions. All of these considerationsled to sodium azide to be selected as the propellant of choice (Winter "AirBags" 41). By the end of 1994, ten percent ofpassenger cars had to meet this standard. Put another way, the air bagdeployment cycle could occur 4 1/4 times in one blink of an eye (Keenan37). This research examines how airbags work and how they have been implemented, the role of government andthe automotive industry in their implementation, the political and legalissues associated with air bags, economic considerations, and what islikely to happen in this area in the future. The auto industry has responded to increased calls forsafety in side collisions by pursuing side impact air bags, as well,although there are difficult technical issues to resolve in this area.However, the legal environment surrounding air bags is not at all clear,and there are considerable problems and litigation which have arisen from aproduct which was designed to save lives. Volvo offeredside-impact air bags as a $5 option in its 1995 85 -series of sedans andwagons. Ifused improperly, or without the seat or shoulder belts, the air bags canactually lead to additional injury or death. Undeployed bagsare a safety concern for automotive dismantlers, who are subject to injuryif air bags explode unexpectedly. However, adding padding and structural support to existing doorssignificantly decreases a car's interior space, so side air bags havebecome the industry's solution of choice for the problem.
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