It is clear that truly smart air bags require substantial additional development efforts before substantial implementation in production cars can be anticipated. The interfacing of electronic crash sensors with occupant state sensors and controllable staged flow rate air bag inflators is a formidable task requiring maintenance of high reliability currently associated with air bags. Can it be accomplished is not in question, but rather the question is will the efforts and costs be expended which are required to achieve the full goal of smart air bag systems? The goals to be achieved are worthy of re-evaluation. Each of us recognize the need to reduce the magnitude of injuries and the number of fatalities associated with air bag deployments. Is it now or ever to be possible to completely eliminate all such events and still appreciate the overall occupant crash protection benefits achievable with air bags? From the vantage point of today, the answer must be no. However, even today, it appears feasible, and perhaps appropriate, that we may tolerate some reduced system reliabilities if the net result could be major reductions in incidence of severe injuries and fatalities caused by air bag deployments. (A)
Samenvatting