Acura has revealed more information on a new front passenger airbag featured in the new 2021 TLX, that is claimed to better manage lateral collision forces that can cause an occupant’s head to rotate severely at high velocity, or to slide off a conventional airbag, increasing the chance of serious injury.
According to Acura, it was developed in part based on a landmark study of brain injuries led by scientists at the U.S. Department of Transportation, which resulted in the creation of the BrIC (Brain Injury Criteria) methodology for measuring brain injuries in vehicle collisions.
Rather than the single inflatable chamber of conventional airbag systems, the new airbag operates something like a baseball catcher’s mitt, with an uninflated panel first catching and decelerating the occupant’s head with less force, while also directing it inward between two inflated chambers to cradle and protect the head. In simple words, the airbag gently hugs the passenger’s head. Watch the video above to see it in action, skip to ~0:50.
Specifically, the new front passenger airbag uses four major components: three inflated compartments consisting of a center chamber and two outward-projecting side chambers that create a wide base across the dash and the uninflated “sail panel” that stretches between the two side chambers. In addition to the new front airbag, the 2021 TLX now includes knee airbags for the driver and front passenger.
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