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THROUGH THE USE of the VODS computer simulation model, the authors have designed driver side airbag systems for the 1980 Series Ford LTD, the Dodge Diplomat, and the Chevrolet Impala. These cars were then retrofitted with a Breed all-mechanical airbag system tailored for each car, and barrier crash tested at 30 mph by NHTSA. System performance results were excellent, and predicted versus actual 50th percentile driver dummy injury measures were in excellent agreement differing by less than 15%. THE MODEL was then used to predict airbag system dummy injury measures in 665 NHTSA crashes. In all but two of these crashes, the injury measures stayed below 80% of those allowed by FMVSS 208. Predicted airbag results for the 1984 NCAP crash tests are presented in detail.

An all-mechanical self-contained airbag has been developed that avoids the complexities of electrical systems and thus is less expensive and easier to install. The system, based on conventional military fuzing technology, evolved from computer math models that found a sensor response curve which would provide timely airbag deployment while detecting the crash pulse outside the crush zone.