Among the various types of airbags included in newer models of vehicles are front airbags, side airbags, airbag-deploying seatbelts, and knee airbags.
Knee airbags were one of the more recent developments in safety technology. It is common for a driver or passenger to have their leg caught between the dashboard and the seat during a vehicle collision, leading to severe injury and even lead to amputation or paralysis.
Not sure whether your vehicle has one? You may check underneath the steering wheel dashboard (for driver) or the lower dashboard (for front passenger) for written sign of ‘airbag‘ such as shown picture below. You may also check its availability via your vehicle manual.
Knee airbags were invented to deploy below the dashboard on both the driver’s and passengers sides which becomes as a soft barrier between the occupant’s knee and the hardness of the dashboard material in the case of an accident, thereby minimizing blunt-force trauma absorbed by the occupants’ knee, thus reducing leg injuries.
Knees have been a vulnerable part for injury in vehicle crashes especially for those with bad knees or those who have had knee replacement surgeries. Designed to control movement of the lower body, these airbags may also reduce impact forces on the abdomen and chest.
While it is possible for such airbags to cause injury, it is likely that they will prevent a more severe injury from occurring.
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