Now standard on many vehicles, these devices, some of which are also controlled by smart technology, offer additional protection to occupants. Side airbags deploy from the door panel or the outboard side of the seat. Head protection systems. A number of higher end vehicles also offer various forms of head protection. BMW, for instance, has recently been touting its system in commercials as the industry leader.
Smart technology is used to time their deployment independent of other airbags in the vehicle.
Rollover protection systems. Soon, Ford will introduce optional rollover protection for its Excursion, Expedition and Explorer models. Using smart technology, this system senses whether a rollover is imminent and, if so, deploys a series of airbags from the headliner. This system is designed not only to cushion occupants from hard interior surfaces, but also to keep passengers from being ejected during a rollover event. Smart airbags will continue to proliferate.