What are the airbags of a Escape PHEV?

In short:
They are part of what is called “passive security” of the car. Their objective is to diminish the damages if there is a traffic collision. They complement the safety belts that you should always wear.

Airbags cushion and restrain the human body if there is a car crash. They are found in different car areas, and they are an important element for your safety: it is estimated that airbags reduce the risk of death by 30% in case of a frontal crash.

You should also know that airbags are exclusively designed to complement seat belts. That means that without seat belts, airbags are useless and extremely dangerous. The airbags are also known as SRS (Supplementary Restraint System).

How are the airbags of your Escape PHEV made?

You will see in the following image that airbags are made of synthetic fabrics that are highly resistant. They are like cushions that get inflated with nitrogen if there is a collision. This happens in a matter of milliseconds since they must react during a crash.

What precautions should you take with the airbags of your Escape PHEV?

⚠️ Airbags were designed to be used along with seat belts. If an airbag is deployed while the passenger is not wearing a seat belt, they may get serious injuries on their face, head, and cervical.

⚠️ Frontal airbags placed in the passenger seat are incompatible with booster seats for children because they may produce serious injuries. You should also take into account that booster seats should always be installed in the back seats. If you want to know more about these seats, you can click here to read the owner’s manual of your car.

⚠️ Do not drive with your body less than six inches apart from the steering wheel. You may hurt yourself badly if your car’s airbag is deployed.

⚠️ If you are about to crash, try not to cover your face with your arms or hands; trust the airbag system. If you cover your face, your hands or face may get injured.

⚠️ Airbags cannot be reused: once they have been deployed, you must replace them with new ones.

⚠️ Do not place any object in the areas where these airbags are located (not even your hands or feet). You can read the next section to know where the airbags are located, or you can read the owner's manual.

What kinds of airbags are there for your Escape PHEV?

There are many types of airbags according to their location in the car. The most common ones can be found inside of the space designed for both the driver and the passengers, but there are also external airbags to protect any passersby, although not all cars have them. You can read the owner's manual to know more about your car’s airbags.

Internal airbags:

• Front driver airbag: it protects the thorax and the head of the driver if there is a frontal collision. It is located in the middle of the steering wheel, and it is the most common one.
• Front passenger airbag: it is like the airbag for driver, but located inside of the glove box.
• Knee airbags: they protect the driver and the passenger from any leg and calf injuries. They are placed under the steering wheel and the glove box.
• Side airbags: they protect the passengers in case of side collisions by preventing their bodies from crashing into the car. They may be inside of the seats or inside of the bodywork.
• Curtain airbags: they protect the passengers in case of side collisions. They are mounted in the roof above the side doors and, when they activate, they cover the internal side of the cabin, both the front and the back seats. They diminish the collision with the bodywork and protect passengers from getting hurt by broken window glass.
• Rear airbags: They protect the heads of rear passengers. You can usually find them in compact cars. They cover the rear window in case of a collision.

External airbags:

These airbags activate outside of the bodywork. They protect passersby if they are hit by the car. Since these airbags cannot be found in every car, you can click here to read your car’s owner’s manual to know more about them.

• Windscreen airbags: they cover the whole windscreen. They may deploy from the roof or from the hood.
• Frontal airbags: they cover the bumper area of the car and the radiator to prevent any injuries on the legs of the passerby.
• Side airbags: they cover the car to protect any passerby from crashing into the bodywork or the windows of the car.

How do the airbags for your Escape PHEV work?

A very delicate and complex system controls the airbags of your car. This system works thanks to certain sensors placed strategically in the bodywork of the car and they are controlled by certain electronic modules. If there is a collision, the car will determine how strong it is and which airbags should be deployed.

As this system is usually very complex, if you notice any anomaly or if you see a warning light indicating that something is damaged, you should take your car to a specialist as soon as you can. Since these airbags are so important for both your and the other passengers’ safety, you should always have an expert deal with them.

When do the airbags get activated in your Escape PHEV?

When the car sensors sense a collision, they send a signal to the car’s computer. If the computer decides that the collision is strong enough, it deploys the airbags to protect the people in the car.

Moments after they have been deployed, the airbags begin to deflate to cushion the collision of the body. This whole cycle happens at a great speed in hundredths of a second.

Once the airbags have been deployed, they are no longer useful; a specialist should replace them with new ones.