Holden leads world-first airbag program
BY DAVID HASSALL | 4th Oct 2011
General Motors’ groundbreaking front centre airbag deploys from the inboard side of the driver’s seat to separate the driver and front seat passenger in the event of a side impact, offering vital head protection.
The new airbag development represents a coup for GM worldwide, stealing a march over European premium brands that pride themselves on being the leaders in the critical area of safety innovation.
Although Mercedes showed a similar system in an ESV (experimental safety vehicle) two years ago – about the same time Toyota presented a rear-seat version – GM claims its front centre airbag will be the first into series production.
Engineers at GM Holden developed the technology in conjunction with the acclaimed Monash University Accident Research Centre (MUARC) in Melbourne before handing the project over to Detroit for production engineering.
The life-saving device will be introduced around the third quarter next year on three US domestic mid-size crossover models – the 2013 model year Buick Enclave, GMC Acadia and Chevrolet Traverse – built at GM’s Lansing, Michigan, plant.
Holden’s lead role in the program was revealed to GoAuto this week by GM Holden director of external communications Emily Perry.
Ms Perry said that Holden Innovation – which was then a standalone think-tank but is now under Holden’s general engineering umbrella – initiated the ‘advance program’ in 2006 and continued working on it until 2008, working with GM’s US seat supplier.
“An advanced engineering team from Holden Innovation led the research and development of this safety technology and then handed it over to the safety group in North America to continue the work,” she said.
“Research showed that far-side impact injuries represent nearly 40 per cent of all side impact injuries, but this area of research was lagging other occupant safety R&D.
“So the Holden Innovation team was aiming to advance understanding far-side restraint systems and develop new occupant protection systems for these types of accidents.” Ms Perry said Holden was studying the prospect of incorporating the airbag into locally produced models.
This is likely to be the forthcoming VF-series Commodore and long-wheelbase derivatives, including the US-export Chevrolet Caprice Police Patrol Vehicle.
“Holden is looking at the possibility of bringing the new centre airbag technology to future models in Australia, but we don’t have anything to announce,” she said.
“This is a great innovation, but it does present some challenges in terms of integrating the hardware into the vehicle – so there is some significant re-engineering required in relation to the seat packaging.” The centre airbag deploys from the right-hand side (in left-hand drive vehicles) of the driver’s seat and positions itself between the front row occupants near the centre of the vehicle, preventing the person on the non-struck side of the vehicle from contact with the opposite occupant’s head or seat.
Scott Thomas, a senior staff engineer in GM’s advanced restraint systems department, said the front centre airbag would offer a new level of protection for front seat occupants.
“No other airbag in passenger vehicles today offers the type of restraint and cushioning this airbag is designed to provide for front occupants,” he said.
GM announced last week it had worked on the new airbag since 2008 in conjunction with supplier Takata Corporation, a Japanese-based producer of seatbelts and airbag systems.
GM said studies of crash data recorded by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) showed that far-side fatalities, where the occupant is sitting on the non-struck side of the vehicle, represent 29 per cent of all belted front occupant fatalities from side impacts.
As well as reducing deaths and injuries in such side-on accidents, GM believes the front centre airbag will also provide benefit in rollovers.
The president of the US-based Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS), Adrian Lund, said the front centre airbag had real potential to save lives in side crashes.
“GM and Takata are to be commended for taking the lead in this important area,” he said.
In recent years the IIHS has praised car-makers for making SUVs and pick-up trucks safer, saying it was no longer the case that these vehicles were more likely to be involved in fatal accidents than cars or minivans of similar size.
The organisation found that the fatality rate for late-model SUVs weighing around 2000kg fell by almost two-thirds between 2001 and 2009, from 44 to 16 deaths per million registered vehicles.
By comparison, cars and minivans in the same weight category were involved in the deaths of other vehicle occupants at the slightly higher rate of 17 per million.
The IIHS attributed the improved performance for SUVs and pick-ups to newer vehicle designs with better front energy-absorbing properties and improved crash protection in all vehicles, thanks to side airbags and stronger structures.
“By working together, the auto-makers got life-saving changes done quickly,” said the Institute’s Joe Nolan, who conducted the fatality rate study.
“The new designs have made a big difference on the road. Whether you’re in an SUV or just sharing the road with one, recent improvements to these vehicles are making you safer.” GM executive director of vehicle safety and crashworthiness Gay Kent said GM and Takata had tested many design iterations of the front centre airbag to achieve packaging, cushioning and restraint for a variety of crashes and occupant positions while considering a range of occupant sizes.
“While no restraint technology can address all body regions or all potential injuries, the front centre airbag is designed to work with the other airbags and safety belts in the vehicles to collectively deliver an even more comprehensive occupant restraint system,” she said.
“This technology is a further demonstration of GM’s above-and-beyond commitment to provide continuous occupant protection before, during and after a crash.” Ms Kent said the new safety feature will be standard on Acadia and Traverse models with power seats, and on all Enclaves.
