> Contact > Autoliv partner portal About Us Products & Innovations Investors News Room Corporate Social Responsibility Careers Regulatory Contacts Autoliv > Products & Innovations > Passive Safety Systems Passive Safety Autoliv accounts for almost every major technological breakthrough within passive safety over the last 20 years. The term “passive safety” refers to products that protect occupants during a crash; primarily airbags and seatbelts. What happens in a crash? When a collision occurs, occupants not wearing seatbelts continue to move forward at the vehicle's pre-crash speed until they make contact with the vehicle's interior (the steering wheel, instrument panel, windscreen, etc.) Belted occupants come to a more gradual stop by being secured directly to the vehicle's structure. In severe crashes, even properly belted occupants may come into contact with the vehicle's interior. In severe crashes the seatbelt system can be enhanced with modern features such as pretensioners, that tighten the belts in an event of a crash. Airbags supplement the seatbelt by reducing the chance that the occupant's head and upper body will strike some part of the vehicle's interior. By distributing crash forces more evenly across the occupant's body they also help reduce the risk of serious injury. During a moderate to severe frontal crash an electrical impulse is sent to the airbag inflator, which produces a non-toxic gas to fill the airbag cushion, deploying it through the module cover. From the beginning of the crash, the entire deployment and inflation process takes about 1/20th of a second, which is roughly half the time of the blink of an eye. In the menu to the right you can learn more about Autoliv’s passive safety products that save 30,000 lives a year. Share: Linked in Facebook Twitter Email Airbags Airbags inflate quickly during a crash.Their purpose is to cushion occupants and provide protection to their bodies before they strike interior objects such as the steering wheel or the instrument panel. Modern vehicles may contain multiple airbags in various side and frontal locations. Click here to read more Seatbelts It is estimated that more than a million people have been saved since seatbelts were first introduced into automobiles in the 1950s. Click here to read more Products & Innovations Active Safety Systems Passive Safety Systems Airbags Seatbelts Steering Wheels Passive Safety Electronics Pedestrian Protection Child Restraints Research Quality Manufacturing Crash Testing Recent What happens when: frontal impact Clicke here to see What happens when: side impact Clicke here to see More at Autoliv.com + The Stock Market NYSE (USD) Market SSE (SEK) Subscribe English Press releases Swedish Press releases English Financial Reports Swedish Financial Reports Quick links Quarterly reports Latest annual report Autoliv in brief presentation (PDF) Financial calendar Autoliv claims the copyright interest in the compilation in all the Autoliv website Content, including without limitation, the incorporated Autoliv websites. The laws of the United States of America and all other signatories to the Berne Convention protect the copyright owner from infringement and you represent that you have read, understand and agree to The U.S. Copyright Act and such other applicable laws and regulations of other countries and you will not violate them in your access and use of any Autoliv website and that you will indemnify and hold Autoliv harmless. © Copyright Autoliv Inc. All rights reserved. >Legal Notice >Privacy Policy