Can someone explain the difference between airbags and curtains? On the Prius, an option is to get front seat-mounted side airbags and front and rear side curtain airbags. Not sure I understand the difference.
Go here: http://www.nhtsa.dot.gov/cars/testing/ncap...ges/SABFAQs.htm And go to the question: What are side-impact air bags (SABs) and where are they located? And you'll see seat mounted and curtain airbags... it's strictly where they're mounted at.
Side impact I think of as protecting the torso from the direct impact into the side of the car. Side curtain as a protection for the head, particularly in case of roll-over---skidding your head on the pavement isn't pretty. <_<
The curtains are mounted in the trim above the front windows and blow downward in a side collision, protecting the head and shoulders. The seat mounted airbags are in the side bolsters of the seat and protect the ribs and torso from a side impact. In most cars the control system only fires the airbags in the direction of impact.
I thought the yaw sensors also allowed deployment in case of rollover... or maybe that's just the Highlander Hybrid I'm thinking of?
The following picture shows the curtains covering the side windows, while the side airbag covers the side of the front seat:
