CAR SAFETY LEAFLET

BY BRANDON GUNAWAN KWAN

AS WE ALL KNOW, CAR ACCIDENTS ARE VERY COMMON

NOWADAYS WITH MANY PEOPLE HAVING THEIR OWN PRIVATE
CARS AS THEIR MAIN VEHICLES FOR TRANSPORTATION.
THEREFORE IT IS VERY IMPORTANT FOR US TO APPLY A NEW AND
EFFECTIVE CAR SAFETY FEATURE THAT WOULD HELP SAVE LIVES
FROM FATAL CAR ACCIDENTS. THE MAIN CAUSES OF THESE
TYPES OF CAR ACCIDENTS WOULD BE DRUG DRIVING, FATIGUE,
LOW EXPERIENCE IN DRIVING, DISTRACTED DRIVING, WEATHER
ISSUES, ETC. THE INJURIES CAUSED BY THESE CAR ACCIDENTS
ARE VERY FATAL NECK INJURIES, HEAD INJURIES, CUTS AND
BRUISES FROM BROKEN GLASS, AND HIGH DEATH RATES.

CAR AFTER AN ACCIDENT

HOW DO AIRBAGS WORK?

TO PREVENT THOSE INJURIES STATED BEFORE, I HAPPEN TO THINK
THAT AIRBAGS WOULD BE THE BEST CAR SAFETY FEATURE CHOICE
TO BE APPLIED IN CARS AROUND THE WORLD. AIRBAGS ARE VERY
USEFUL IN REDUCING THE FRONTAL IMPACT ON OCCUPANTS. WHEN
YOUR CAR IS MOVING, OUR BODY IS ALSO MOVING AT THE SAME
SPEED AS THE CAR. HOWEVER, WHEN THE CAR STOPS, OUR BODY
WILL CONTINUE TO MOVE, SO IT IS SUPPOSED TO LUNGE
FORWARDS.

THIS CAN BE EXPLAINED WITH NEWTON'S FIRST LAW. IT STATES

THAT “OBJECTS WILL NOT CHANGE THEIR STATE OF MOTION
UNLESS ACTED ON BY AN UNBALANCED FORCE”. THEREFORE, WHEN
YOUR CAR CHANGES ITS STATE OF MOTION TO REST, THERE IS AN
UNBALANCED FORCE STOPPING THE CAR BUT THERE IS NO
UNBALANCED FORCE ACTING ON YOU, WHICH IS WHY OUR BODY
STILL WANTS TO KEEP MOVING. WHEN A CAR CRASH HAPPENS, IT
CAR AIRBAG PARTS WILL BE DETECTED BY SENSORS AND THEN THE AIRBAGS WILL BE
BEFORE INFLATION INFLATED WITH NITROGEN GAS THAT IS CONVERTED FROM SODIUM
AZIDE INSIDE THE AIRBAG INFLATOR. THEN, THE OCCUPANTS WOULD
HIT THEIR HEADS ON THE AIRBAG AND THE AIRBAG WOULD DEFLATE.
IN OTHER WORDS, THE AIRBAGS ARE THERE TO STOP AND REDUCE
THE SPEED OF THE OCCUPANTS’ HEADS SO THEY WOULD NOT HIT
THEIR HEADS WITH MUCH FORCE.

THIS CAN ALSO BE EXPLAINED WITH NEWTON'S SECOND LAW WHICH

STATES THAT FORCE= MASS X ACCELERATION. DURING A CAR
CRASH, THE OCCUPANTS OF THE CAR WOULD USUALLY GO FROM A
VERY HIGH VELOCITY TO BEING AT REST IN A TIME OF LESS THAN A
SECOND. THIS WOULD CAUSE THE CHANGE OF MOMENTUM(MASS X
VELOCITY) OF THE OCCUPANT’S BODY TO BE VERY FAST, ALSO
CAUSING THE IMPACT OF THE OCCUPANT’S BODY TO BE VERY
CAR AIRBAG PARTS LARGE ON THE FRONT OF THE CAR. AIRBAGS HAVE WIDE SURFACE
AREAS THAT REDUCE THE CHANGE OF MOMENTUM OF THE
AFTER INFLATION OCCUPANT’S BODY, LEADING TO A LESSER PRESSURE EXERTED ON
THE OCCUPANTS.
 EFFECTIVENESS OF AIRBAGS
ACCORDING TO NHTSA(NATIONAL HIGHWAY TRAFFIC
SAFETY ADMINISTRATION), FRONTAL AIRBAGS SAVED
APPROXIMATELY 50 457 LIVES FROM THE YEAR 2017
WORLDWIDE. IT IS ESTIMATED THAT THE OCCUPANTS’
RISK OF FATALITIES IS REDUCED BY 29% BY FRONTAL
AIRBAGS AND THE RISK OF FATALITIES OF PEOPLE
WITHIN THE AGE RANGE OF 13 YEARS OLD OR OLDER IS
REDUCED BY 32%. ALL THIS INFORMATION SHOWS THAT
AIRBAGS ARE VERY EFFECTIVE CAR SAFETY FEATURES
THAT ARE ABLE TO WORK WELL IN REDUCING THE
AMOUNT OF PEOPLE GETTING INJURED OR DYING FROM
CAR ACCIDENTS WORLDWIDE. CAR AIRBAGS
CRUMPLE ZONES
ANOTHER CAR SAFETY FEATURE THAT WOULD
WORK WELL WITH AIRBAGS WOULD BE CRUMPLE
ZONES. CRUMPLE ZONES HELP REDUCE THE
FORCE EXERTED ON OCCUPANTS WHEN THE CAR
CRASHES. DURING A COLLISION, SUCH AS IF
THE CAR WERE TO HIT A WALL, ITS FRONT PART
WOULD CRUMPLE FIRST AND THIS DEFORMATION
PROCESS TAKES TIME. AN INCREASED TIME
WOULD LEAD TO A DECREASED ACCELERATION.
A DECREASED ACCELERATION WOULD MEAN A
SMALLER FORCE EXERTED ON THE OCCUPANTS
WILL ALSO BE REDUCED. THE CRUMBLING OF THE CAR CRUMPLE ZONES
CRUMPLE ZONES ALSO ABSORBS ENERGY FROM
THE COLLISION.

SOCIAL IMPACTS OF AIRBAGS

A HUGE POSITIVE IMPACT THAT AIRBAGS CAUSED IS THAT
THEY GREATLY REDUCED THE CHANCES OF PEOPLE DYING
FROM CAR ACCIDENTS AROUND THE WORLD. THESE
AIRBAGS CAN ALSO HELP GREATLY REDUCE INJURIES FROM
CAR ACCIDENTS OR EVEN LEAVE THE CAR OCCUPANT WITH
NO INJURIES AT ALL IF IT IS WORKING PROPERLY.
HOWEVER, THE NEGATIVE IMPACT OF AIRBAGS IS THAT
THEY MAY ALSO MALFUNCTION WHICH WOULD LEAD TO
CAUSING PEOPLE INJURIES AND ALSO POSSIBLE DEATH
INSTEAD OF SAVING THEM.

ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS OF AIRBAGS

WHEN THE AIRBAGS INFLATE DURING A CAR ACCIDENT, HARMLESS NITROGEN WOULD BE
CONVERTED FROM SODIUM AZIDE WITH THE HELP OF OTHER CHEMICALS IN THE INFLATOR. THE
FULLY INFLATED AIRBAG CAN THEN BE CONSIDERED AS SOLID WASTE AND BE REUSED AND
RECYCLED INTO OTHER USEFUL PRODUCTS. HOWEVER, THE SODIUM AZIDE CHEMICAL
COMPOUND THAT IS VERY HARMFUL TO THE ENVIRONMENT DUE TO ITS ABILITY TO KILL
ANYTHING INCLUDING ALMOST EVERY MICROSCOPIC TO LARGE LIVING SPECIES LIKE ANIMALS
AND HUMANS. SODIUM AZIDE IS ALSO SOLUBLE IN WATER WHICH MEANS THAT SPILLS CAN GO
TO SEWERS, OCEANS, RIVERS, ETC.
BIBLIOGRAPHY(MLA FORMAT)
RACQ.COM.AU. 2021. AIRBAGS - CAR SAFETY FEATURES - RACQ. [ONLINE] AVAILABLE AT:
<HTTPS://WWW.RACQ.COM.AU/CARS-AND-DRIVING/SAFETY-ON-THE-ROAD/CAR-SAFETY-
FEATURES/AIRBAGS#:~:TEXT=THE%20PURPOSE%20OF%20AN%20AIRBAG,EVENT%20OF%20A%20SEVERE%
20CRASH.> [ACCESSED 29 APRIL 2021].
WWW.NOLO.COM. 2021. AIRBAG INJURIES AND CAR ACCIDENTS. [ONLINE] AVAILABLE AT:
<HTTPS://WWW.NOLO.COM/LEGAL-ENCYCLOPEDIA/AIRBAG-INJURIES-AND-CAR-ACCIDENTS.HTML>
[ACCESSED 29 APRIL 2021].
MILLERTISCHLER.COM. 2021. [ONLINE] AVAILABLE AT:
<HTTPS://WWW.MILLERTISCHLER.COM/2020/04/22/7-COMMON-NECK-AND-BACK-INJURIES-FROM-
REAR-END-
COLLISIONS/#:~:TEXT=ONE%20OF%20THE%20MOST%20COMMON,%2C%20OR%20ARMS%2C%20AND%20
FATIGUE.&TEXT=WHILE%20MOST%20PEOPLE%20RECOVER%20QUICKLY,MAY%20HAVE%20LONG%2DTERM
%20COMPLICATIONS.> [ACCESSED 29 APRIL 2021].
GRUBER LAW OFFICES. 2021. SINGLE VEHICLE CAR ACCIDENTS | MILWAUKEE CAR ACCIDENT LAWYER.
[ONLINE] AVAILABLE AT: <HTTPS://WWW.GRUBER-LAW.COM/CAR-ACCIDENT-LAWYER/TYPES-OF-CAR-
ACCIDENTS/SINGLE-VEHICLE-CAR-
ACCIDENTS/#:~:TEXT=TYPES%20OF%20INJURIES%20IN%20SINGLE%20VEHICLE%20ACCIDENTS&TEXT=THE
%20INJURIES%20SUSTAINED%20IN%20THESE,AMPUTATIONS%2C%20FRACTURES%2C%20AND%20DEATH.>
[ACCESSED 29 APRIL 2021].
HUPY AND ABRAHAM, S.C. 2021. HEAD-ON COLLISIONS ARE AMONG THE MOST SERIOUS TYPES OF CAR
CRASHES. [ONLINE] AVAILABLE AT: <HTTPS://WWW.HUPY.COM/LIBRARY/HEAD-ON-COLLISIONS-
CAUSES-INJURIES-AND-RECOVERIES.CFM> [ACCESSED 29 APRIL 2021].
IIHS-HLDI CRASH TESTING AND HIGHWAY SAFETY. 2021. AIRBAGS. [ONLINE] AVAILABLE AT:
<HTTPS://WWW.IIHS.ORG/TOPICS/AIRBAGS> [ACCESSED 29 APRIL 2021].
GRC.NASA.GOV. 2021. [ONLINE] AVAILABLE AT: <HTTPS://WWW.GRC.NASA.GOV/WWW/K-
12/AIRPLANE/NEWTON.HTML> [ACCESSED 29 APRIL 2021].
VENNGAGE.NET. 2021. AIRBAGS. [ONLINE] AVAILABLE AT:
<HTTPS://VENNGAGE.NET/P/58707/AIRBAGS#:~:TEXT=SOCIAL%20IMPACTS,CAUSE%20INJURIES%20AN
D%20EVEN%20DEATH.> [ACCESSED 29 APRIL 2021].
HAZARDOUS WASTE EXPERTS. 2021. AIRBAG HAZARDOUS WASTE: UNINTENDED CONSEQUENCE TO A
DECADES-OLD SAFETY REGULATION. [ONLINE] AVAILABLE AT:
<HTTPS://WWW.HAZARDOUSWASTEEXPERTS.COM/AIRBAG-HAZARDOUS-
WASTE/#:~:TEXT=WHEN%20AN%20AIRBAG%20IS%20DEPLOYED,AND%20CAN%20BURN%20EXPOSED%20SK
IN.> [ACCESSED 29 APRIL 2021].
SITES.GOOGLE.COM. 2021. HOW DOES AN AIRBAG WORK? - CAR SAFETY SYSTEMS. [ONLINE]
AVAILABLE AT: <HTTPS://SITES.GOOGLE.COM/SITE/UAVJW861/AIRBAGS/HOW-DOES-AN-AIRBAG-
WORK> [ACCESSED 29 APRIL 2021].
GOOGLE.COM. 2021. REDIRECT NOTICE. [ONLINE] AVAILABLE AT: <HTTPS://WWW.GOOGLE.COM/URL?
SA=I&URL=HTTPS%3A%2F%2FWWW.TELLROBERT.COM%2FINFORMATION-ABOUT-CAR-ACCIDENTS-YOU-
NEED-TO-BE-AWARE-OF%2F&PSIG=AOVVAW3GMWSVIRGO25DQ-NMP1R-
S&UST=1619668128095000&SOURCE=IMAGES&CD=VFE&VED=0CAIQJRXQFWOTCPDXK5GEOPACFQAAAAA
DAAAAABAD> [ACCESSED 29 APRIL 2021].
GOOGLE.COM. 2021. REDIRECT NOTICE. [ONLINE] AVAILABLE AT: <HTTPS://WWW.GOOGLE.COM/URL?
SA=I&URL=HTTPS%3A%2F%2FCARSAFETYFEATURE.WEEBLY.COM%2FCRUMPLE-
ZONE.HTML&PSIG=AOVVAW38MROEN4SJJGZD2BYJ3LPB&UST=1619703247426000&SOURCE=IMAGES&CD
=VFE&VED=0CAIQJRXQFWOTCNIMQF6GOFACFQAAAAADAAAAABAD> [ACCESSED 29 APRIL 2021].
TRAVELERS.COM. 2021. HOW CRUMPLE ZONES WORK. [ONLINE] AVAILABLE AT:
<HTTPS://WWW.TRAVELERS.COM/RESOURCES/AUTO/SAFE-DRIVING/HOW-CRUMPLE-ZONES-WORK>
[ACCESSED 29 APRIL 2021].
GOOGLE.COM. 2021. REDIRECT NOTICE. [ONLINE] AVAILABLE AT: <HTTPS://WWW.GOOGLE.COM/URL?
SA=I&URL=HTTPS%3A%2F%2FWWW.INDIAMART.COM%2FPRODDETAIL%2FSODIUM-AZIDE-
5671262133.HTML&PSIG=AOVVAW1039_YBJCW6DYDNRV3DHWP&UST=1619748904844000&SOURCE=IMAG
ES&CD=VFE&VED=0CAIQJRXQFWOTCKCPL4WXOVACFQAAAAADAAAAABAD> [ACCESSED 29 APRIL 2021].