What is the function of airbags?
Show the correct answer
Correct answer
C. They reduce bodily injuries which may be suffered by the driver and passengers as a result of a crash.
Explanation
Airbags reduce the bodily injuries that the driver and passengers may suffer as a result of a crash - answer C. They do not protect the vehicle from damage (A) and do not give full protection (B) - they only supplement seat belts and work correctly only for a person wearing a seat belt.
An airbag inflates from the steering wheel, the dashboard or the side of the seat within a fraction of a second after a strong impact is detected, and it creates a soft barrier between the body and the hard parts of the interior; then it immediately deflates. It protects the head and chest, but it will not stop the body from being thrown out of the seat - that is the job of the seat belts, which is why the Road Traffic Act requires the driver and passengers to wear seat belts while driving. A passenger without a seat belt hits the inflating airbag with enormous force, which can seriously injure them. The passenger airbag must be switched off when a child travels in the front seat in a rear-facing child seat.
Legal basis: Art. 39 para. 1 and Art. 45 para. 2 point 4 of the Road Traffic Act (Prawo o ruchu drogowym)