| Side AirbagWith a proportion of around 20 percent, side-on collisions are the second most common type of accident after frontal collisions. Side airbags (also called "thorax" airbags) deploy sideways between the upper torso and the door trim in certain side impacts. Together with a properly worn three-point safety belt, they reduce the load on the chest and pelvic areas. The driver and passenger side airbags in all Volkswagen cars are located in the backs of the front seats and are therefore always in the correct position to protect the upper body regardless of the seat position. The side airbags for the rear passengers are often fitted in the door trim. As a car has small crumple zones at the side and the distance between the occupants and the vehicle door is small, there is much less time for detecting, activating and inflating the airbag in a side collision than with the front airbags. |
