Knee airbags are among the newer ideas in terms of impact protection in cars. Now that modern vehicles usually have front, head and, in some cases, side airbags as standard, the interest of accident researchers is now shifting to the footwell.
For this reason, knee airbags are increasingly being used in some vehicle models. They are usually installed in the lower part of the dashboard in front of the driver’s seat. In the event of a frontal accident, they are triggered and thus protect the knee and leg region in the area of the steering column and the lower dashboard from serious injuries.
In addition, knee airbags ensure that the driver does not slip under the belt in the event of a collision: he rather remains sitting upright and is thus optimally protected by the front airbag. Knee airbags are no longer only available in luxury vehicles, but also in compact models.
Knee airbag on F-150
Driver and passenger knee airbags on Ford F-150 are under or within the instrument panel.
During a crash, the restraints control module may activate the driver and passenger knee airbags (individually or both) based on crash severity and respective occupant conditions.
Under certain crash and occupant conditions, the driver and passenger knee airbags on F-150 may deploy (individually or both) but the corresponding front airbag may not activate.
It is important to be properly seated and restrained to reduce the risk of death or serious injury.
