What Speed Do Airbags Deploy?

The front airbag in your car is designed to deploy at 10-12 mph with a rigid wall if unbelted. When wearing your seatbelt, it deploys at approximately 16 mph.

When you're involved in a serious collision, your front airbags activate in 20-30 milliseconds at approximately 200 mph.

This near-instantaneous airbag deployment is necessary in a crash to provide the safety you expect.

In some cases the deployment velocity of airbags can cause injuries to victims.

They are designed to become active when driving certain speeds.

Sometimes a faulty airbag deploys too late to provide the protection it was designed for.

Sometimes they deploy without an actual collision and injure victims.

In some scenarios the safety systems can fail to detect the crash and the airbags don't deploy - causing occupants to suffer more severe injuries than they otherwise would have.

Good accident lawyers will typically investigate deployment timing and technical evidence if an airbag failure is suspected of contributing to your injuries after a crash.

The airbag must deploy, fully inflate, and begin deflating at precisely the right moment to prevent occupants from hitting the steering wheel, dashboard, or other hard surfaces in the vehicle.

A failure to deploy properly can result in more severe injuries than victims would have otherwise sustained in a crash.

The airbag deployment process follows a precisely orchestrated sequence:

• Crash Detection (0-15 milliseconds): Sensors detect rapid deceleration forces exceeding predetermined thresholds
• Signal Transmission (15-20 milliseconds): Electronic signals trigger the inflation module explosives
• Chemical Reaction (20-25 milliseconds): Sodium azide or similar compounds rapidly convert to nitrogen gas
• Full Inflation (25-30 milliseconds): The airbag fully expands to create a protective cushion
• Controlled Deflation (30+ milliseconds): Vents allow gradual deflation as occupant contacts the airbag

The entire sequence process occurs within 50 milliseconds of the initial impact – approximately 1/20th of a second. This timing critical for maximizing safety while minimizing airbag deployment injuries.