Automotive Airbag History and Invention

The invention and development of automobile airbags is an important milestone in the field of safety technology in the automotive industry, and has made great contributions to reducing the damage caused by vehicle collision accidents. The earliest concept of airbags can be traced back to the early 20th century, but the truly practical automobile airbags appeared in the late 1960s and early 1970s.
 
In 1967, John Hetrick, an engineer at GM, obtained the patent for the first airbag. Soon after, another automobile company, Chrysler, also began to study airbag technology and took the lead in using airbags on a special model in 1973.

However, the real promotion and popularization of airbags can be traced back to the 1980s. In 1981, the US federal government promulgated the Federal Automobile Safety Standard, requiring all cars and light trucks to install airbags in the driver and front passenger seats. The implementation of this regulation has promoted the rapid development and popularization of airbag technology.
 
With the continuous advancement of science and technology, the design and function of automobile airbags have been continuously improved and perfected. From the initial protection of only the driver and front passenger to today's all-round airbag system, including side airbags, head airbags and knee airbags, airbags have become an indispensable part of modern automobile safety systems. Airbags also mitigate the consequences of automobile collision accidents to a certain extent, such as reducing injuries to the head and neck and preventing direct contact between the body and the internal structure of the vehicle.