Automobiles · Vol. III|ABS and airbag|1970s–1980s

ABS and airbag

1970s–1980s

Anti-lock brakes pulse a skidding wheel so steering remains. Airbags fire a fabric cushion in tens of milliseconds when a crash is sensed. Together with belts, they are why a modern collision is often survivable. Safety here is sensors, explosives, and software — not only crumple zones of steel.

Bosch (ABS production); many airbag teams (Allen Breed, GM, Mercedes) · Germany, United States, Japan

ABS and airbag — Original plate drawn for this atlas. Not a photograph of a museum object or a copyrighted portrait.

How it works

Wheel-speed sensors detect lockup; valves dump and restore brake pressure many times a second.
Accelerometers detect a crash pulse.
A charge inflates a bag faster than the occupant can hit the wheel.

Why it mattered

Cut deaths per kilometre as cars got faster and heavier.
Made electronics a safety system, not a radio.
Changed the ethics of what a car owes a body.

What it unlocked

1997 (Prius); 2012 (mass-luxury EV landmark)Hybrid and EV platforms

For further study

Bosch automotive history. ABS.
NHTSA historical rulemaking. Airbags and belts.

Check

What does ABS preserve that locked brakes throw away?