These have been around for a while for extreme athletes... The notion that these can be safely used for old people seems like a huge liability because when these things inflate they do so with a great deal of force and someone with severe osteoporosis may well get crushed more by the device than the fall or stumble that triggered it.
My wife broke her hip last year. I showed her the video and told her I was going to get her the one unit for the hip area for Christmas next year. She didn't take it as a joke like I intended- probably a misjudgment on my part.
We're actually having a conversation about that today... As in, people understand the recovery process from a physical injury, but we don't understand, or give enough concern to the mental parts of the recovery, which is probably why she didn't experience your joke as something to laugh about. Here's the llink to our discussion: Depression, the mental public health problem | PriusChat
Actually, Munro turned me on to: Unlike a regular air bag, this one doesn't jump out of the dash or steering wheel. There are even motorcycle versions: Bob Wilson
The intent of the seat belt bag is to tighten the belt's restraint quicker. Otherwise there is a bit of slack between impact and the standard locking mechanism activating. they are used on rear seats where an air bag installed in front of the passenger isn't feasible.
Our Prii have seatbelt pretensioners. A small bomb inside the belt retractor goes off and spins the spool backward to tighten up the belt. How much better is a seatbelt airbag than that?
Maybe quicker isn't the best word. Perhaps better. I was responding to the comparison of it not jumping out at you like other air bags. While it does inflate slower, its purpose isn't to provide a force absorbing cushion to hit, but improve what the seat belt does. "The inflated belt helps distribute crash force energy across five times more of the occupant’s torso than a traditional belt, which expands its range of protection and reduces risk of injury by diffusing crash pressure over a larger area, while providing additional support to the head and neck. After deployment, the belt remains inflated for several seconds before dispersing its air through the pores of the air bag. ... In the event of a frontal or side crash, the inflatable belt’s increased diameter more effectively holds the occupant in the appropriate seating position, helping to reduce the risk of injury." FORD INTRODUCES INDUSTRY'S FIRST INFLATABLE SEAT BELTS TO ENHANCE REAR SEAT SAFETY - Ford-Trucks.com
Shoulder belt air bags have been in some cars since about 2016. I became aware that they were available for general aviation about the same time. In airplanes, they might not have deployed yet Airbag Seatbelts: Pricey, But Effective - Aviation Consumer NHTSA has probably examined their value in car crashes. As they have for seat belts, shoulder belts, and pretensioners. Not all car seats are compatible with shoulder belt air bags and readers with car seats ought to confirm their setup. For those who'd rather not use the B word NHTSA calls them pyrotechnic devices. 'Inflators' is mellow to the point of being non descriptive
Back in the olden days I removed steering wheel airbag from 2001 Prius to install cruise control. Then put it back but in the interim I was very fearful of that pyro dev. Anti static wrist straps etc. We were few, hardy and especially nerdy back then ...
I've flown a few legs in an A340 where every single seat had an airbag embedded in its seatbelt. I remember thinking that it would make a heck of a cool noise to hear them all going off at once, maybe even worth it being the last sound ever.
The Ford ones aren't. They are 'cold' inflators using compressed gas. It is why the inflation is slower than a typical air bag. The gas cylinder is in the seat bottom.
Interesting. The ones in our passenger-side dash are 'hybrid' ones, containing a bunch of already-compressed gas, held back by a rupture disc, and also a B word. So when the B word goes off, the pressure rises enough to rupture the disc, and all the combined gases go into the bag.
Perhaps that is how the Ford belt works. Couldn't find info on how it opens the cylinder. A blasting cap releases less energy energy than the explosive itself, but compressed gas can contain its own crazy level of energy. Care needs to be taken with all. Seems Ford stressed the cold part because the bag is in direct contact with the passenger while inflating. A pyrotechnic gas generator could lead to burns. Looks like these belts are no longer available on Fords after 2020MY. While Ford did a lot of testing with available car seats, NHSTA declined to endorse the results or do their own testing. Without that car seat makers were less inclined to support the inflatable seat belts.
