If you have ever wondered who came up with the idea for the airbag in cars, you are not alone. Your GMC-Pontiac-Buick dealers would like to offer this brief history of airbags for those who are curious about this lifesaving device.
• A man by the name of Allen Breed held the patent to “the only crash sensing technology available at the birth of the airbag industry,” according to this article. As a result, Breed created a “sensor and safety system” in 1968. This became the world’s first electromechanical automotive airbag system.
• The idea for the modern day airbag goes back to the early 1950s when a German inventor – Walter Linderer – submitted a patent application for a similar device. His idea, however, utilized compressed air to inflate the airbags. Unfortunately, compressed air could not inflate the bags quick enough to be effective so his idea did not last.
• General Motors tested airbags in 1973 on vehicles that were solely for government use.
• In 1975, GM offered the first driver’s side airbag for the general public.
This is just a brief history of the beginnings of the airbag. Visit your Springfield area Pontiac dealer today to see how far airbags and other safety features have come to protect you and your family in your Pontiac cars.
