Most new cars have a front airbag for the driver as standard equipment.
Front airbags operate in a severe frontal collision. Crash sensors detect the sudden reduction in speed and send a signal to the airbag inflator which fills the bag with a gas. Full inflation occurs faster than the blink of an eye. The bag begins to deflate instantly, in a controlled way, to cushion the impact. Although airbags are relatively new in Europe, studies are showing that in accidents there is a reduction in the frequency of severe head injuries experienced by drivers in cars equipped with airbags.