Side curtain airbags are designed to deploy when your vehicle detects an imminent rollover crash. The NHTSA mentions that your car’s rollover sensing system might trigger the response when the roll angle is quite small and the tires are all still in contact with the ground. The Houston rollover injury lawyers at Denena Points, PC note that these airbags typically deploy in conjunction with safety belt retractors that are designed to remove any slack from your seatbelt restraints and to hold you more securely in your seat.
The side impact airbags to protect your head generally deploy downward, like a curtain dropping, from an overhead roof rail by the side windows. Because those side curtain airbags exist to protect you in the event of a rollover, they’re also designed to stay inflated longer than other airbags, so that they’re still in place to cushion your head as the vehicle rolls and you get thrown towards the side or roof of the vehicle.
The other advantage of these airbags is that they can, especially when you’re wearing your seatbelt, help prevent you from being thrown out of the vehicle as it rolls. Our Houston rollover injury lawyers caution that vehicle ejection is the source of most severe injuries and deaths from rollover wrecks. People ejected from their vehicles during crashes suffer fatal injuries about 75% of the time, so safety devices that help you remain inside the protection of your car or light truck during a wreck provide a distinct benefit.
But not all side impact airbags to protect your head are designed as rollover protection. Some are designed more with T-bone and sideswipe crashes in mind. These airbags would usually already have deflated again by the time you hit the worst part of a rollover. So when you’re considering buying a vehicle, our Houston rollover injury lawyers urge you to find out what type of airbags you have and what they’re designed to do. You could check with dealers and automakers to find out which of their products offer side curtain airbags that will deploy as rollover airbags.
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