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O airbag fica no lado direito do banco do motorista, e se infla entre os dois assentos, para minimizar possíveis impactos laterais entre os ocupantes. Estatísticas do National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), órgão que controla a segurança viária nos Estados Unidos, apontam que 11% das mortes de ocupantes dos bancos dianteiros em colisões, entre 2004 e 2009, foram ocasionadas por esse tipo de impacto, e cerca de 29% dos óbitos ocasionados nas batidas laterais envolvem passageiros que estavam do lado oposto ao que recebeu o impacto.
Foi com base nessas estatísticas (todas consideram que as pessoas usavam os cintos de segurança no momento da colisão) que a GM desenvolveu o inédito airbag. A ideia da montadora é mostrar que a nova bolsa realmente faz toda a diferença.
"O airbag central não é exigido pela regulamentação federal. Contudo, nenhum outro airbag em veículos de passeio oferece, hoje, o tipo de proteção aos ocupantes dos bancos da frente que essa bolsa proporciona", ressaltou Scott Thomas, engenheiro sênior de sistemas avançados de contenção da GM. O dispositivo foi desenvolvido pela GM em parceria com a fornecedora Tanaka nos últimos três anos. Variáveis como acionamento e retenção da almofada, tamanho dos ocupantes e posição do motorista e passageiro foram levadas em consideração.
"O airbag central frontal tem real potencial para salvar vidas em batidas laterais", afirmou Adrian Lund, presidente do Instituto de Seguros da Highway Safety. "O airbag central é projetado para trabalhar com outros airbags e cinto de segurança nos veículos para oferecer um sistema de retenção aos ocupantes ainda mais abrangente", salientou Gay Kent, diretor-executivo de segurança dos veículos da GM.
New safety feature designed to help protect driver, front passenger in side impact crashes
DETROIT – General Motors will introduce the industry's first front center air bag, an inflatable restraint designed to help protect drivers and front passengers in far-side impact crashes where the affected occupant is on the opposite, non-struck side of the vehicle.
The front center air bag will be introduced on the Buick Enclave, GMC Acadia, and Chevrolet Traverse midsize crossovers in the 2013 model year. This new safety feature will be standard on Acadia and Traverse with power seats and all Enclaves.
The front center air bag deploys from the right side of the driver's seat and positions itself between the front row seats near the center of the vehicle. This tethered, tubular air bag is designed to provide restraint during passenger-side crashes when the driver is the only front occupant, and also acts as an energy absorbing cushion between driver and front passenger in both driver- and passenger-side crashes. The air bag also is expected to provide benefit in rollovers.
GM analysis of the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration's Fatality Analysis Reporting System database, found that far-side impact crashes, which the front center airbag primarily addresses, accounted for 11 percent of the belted front occupant fatalities in non-rollover impacts between 2004 and 2009 involving 1999 model year or newer vehicles. These far-side fatalities, where the occupant is on the non-struck side of the vehicle, also represent 29 percent of all the belted front occupant fatalities in side impacts.
"The front center air bag is not required by federal regulation, and no other air bag in passenger vehicles today offers the type of restraint and cushioning this air bag is designed to provide for front occupants," said Scott Thomas, senior staff engineer in GM's advanced restraint systems.
The front center air bag is expected to add to the vehicles' record of third-party crash test performance. The 2012 model year editions of these midsize crossovers have received five-star Overall and Side Crash safety ratings from NHTSA's New Car Assessment Program, and 2011 Top Safety Picks from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety.
"The front center airbag has real potential to save lives in side crashes," said Adrian Lund, president of the insurance Institute for Highway Safety. "GM and Takata are to be commended for taking the lead in this important area."
GM and technology supplier Takata developed the front center air bag over the course of three years, testing many design iterations to achieve packaging, cushioning, and restraint for a variety of crashes and occupant positions. Numerous elements of the air bag's jointly patented cushion design address the restraint's unique performance characteristics while considering a range of occupant sizes.
"While no restraint technology can address all body regions or all potential injuries, the front center air bag is designed to work with the other air bags and safety belts in the vehicles to collectively deliver an even more comprehensive occupant restraint system," said Gay Kent, GM executive director of Vehicle Safety and Crashworthiness. "This technology is a further demonstration of GM's above-and-beyond commitment to provide continuous occupant protection before, during and after a crash."
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