The airbag was patented in the early 1950s, first offered on production cars by General Motors in the mid-1970s, and popularized by Mercedes-Benz from 1981 as a supplemental restraint working with the seat belt. Driver and passenger front airbags became mandatory in all new U.S. cars from the 1998 model year. Since then, airbags have multiplied — side, curtain, knee, seat-belt and, on the current S-Class, rear-seat front airbags.

Timeline

Year Development
Early 1950s Airbag concepts patented in the U.S. and Germany
1968 Crash sensor developed for airbag deployment
1974–76 GM offers airbags on some Buick, Cadillac and Oldsmobile models
1981 Mercedes-Benz driver airbag and belt pretensioner
1998 Front airbags required in all new U.S. cars
1990s–2000s Side and curtain airbags
2020 Rear-seat front airbags (Mercedes S-Class)

How an airbag works

Crash sensors detect a sudden deceleration. Within milliseconds, an inflator fills the nylon bag with gas; it cushions the occupant and then deflates through vents. The whole event takes a fraction of a second.

Supplemental restraint

Airbags are designed to work with seat belts — that’s why they’re marked SRS (supplemental restraint system). Belts keep occupants in position; airbags cushion. Read the three-point seat belt.

Many kinds of airbags

  • Side airbags in seats or doors.
  • Curtain airbags along the side windows.
  • Knee airbags under the dashboard.
  • Inflatable seat belts for rear passengers.
  • Rear-seat front airbags in the back of front seats. Read the W223 S-Class.

Children and airbags

Children under 13 should ride in the back seat, and rear-facing child seats must never be placed in front of an active front airbag. Read child car seats in car service.