What are the advantages and disadvantages of airbags?

Answer 1

Let me begin by saying that all automotive safety features have progressed leaps, and bounds over where they were 20 years ago. The old air bags were made of a woven copper, which, as you may be thinking, would abraise your face something fierce. They are now a soft fabric much like a parachute. They used to be one stage, which means that if your going 10 miles per hour, and if you are going 100 miles per hour, it ejected with the same enthusiasm, which would about break your neck. Now they are two stage, and accomodate for the vehicles momentum. There are really only two situations, that I can come up with that they would not be a positive. First off, you have to remember that all crash protection, as opposed to crash avoidance, is designed to work TOGETHER. My first example would be if the person were not wearing their seat belt. I am not really sure what would happen under those circumstances. GM didn't really let us see that particular footage, as I am sure that it would be a totaly random result each time. SEcond would be with a child, in a child's seat. I have heard that one never turns out well either. If there is not a air bag disarm, or shut off, usually done with the ignition key in the area of the glove compartment, then wrong seat to use. Other than that, they are one heck of alot safer, than without.