Toyota claims world-first airbag development

TOYOTA is about to put into production the world’s first rear-seat centre airbag to help protect back-seat passengers in a side collision.

The world’s number-one car company said the innovative Supplemental Restraint System (SRS) airbag would be fitted “in a version of a Toyota model to be launched in Japan in the near future”, but did not name the vehicle.

Industry experts in Japan suggest the first model to get the feature will be the redesigned Toyota Crown Majesta luxury sedan, which is scheduled to debut on March 27.

Australians are likely to see the feature for the first time in Lexus models.

The rear-centre airbag inflates from a fixed, rear-seat centre console between the passengers during side collisions.

It is designed to reduce the severity of injuries to rear seat passengers from contact with the console or knocking against each other, which is a major cause of rear passenger head trauma.

Despite its financial problems due to the sudden global downturn, Toyota says it will continue to develop and make available its safety technologies to enable its vehicles to better respond to a wider range of accidents.

“Toyota intends to further strengthen its traffic safety initiatives in the future by developing safer vehicles and technologies, participating in the creation of safe traffic environments and implementing traffic safety education activities,” the company said in a statement.

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