The U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has proposed a new federal rule that is intended to reduce the risk of being ejected during a rollover accident.  That proposed rule would require car companies to pass testing that evaluates the risk that a person would be ejected out a side window during a rollover crash.  The government expects that most car companies would meet that standard by adding improved side curtain air bags and also potentially by using laminated glazing (layered glass/plastic/glass) similar to what is used in windshields.

Although side curtain air bags are present in many vehicles today, not all of those are triggered during rollover wrecks.  There are several differences between curtain air bags that deploy only in side crashes and curtain air bags that deploy in rollover crashes.  The rollover-triggered air bags obviously require sensors to detect that a rollover is occuring.  Such rollover sensors were available on nearly 100 models by the 2007 model year.

The rollover air bags also have to stay inflated longer: although side impacts may last less than a second, rollovers can last several seconds.  So, rollover air bags need to stay inflated longer.  This is often accomplished by using a colder gas to inflate the air bag, because colder gas does not leak out as quickly.  The rollover air bag fabric is often coated as well, again to make sure the gas does not leak out as quickly.

Additionally, some of today’s side curtain air bags do not extend to the bottom of the windows; this means that some people, particularly small children, can still be ejected even if the curtain air bag is deployed.  NHTSA anticipates that the rollover curtain air bags required to pass the proposed testing would need to extend downward from the roof to cover the entire window.

Finally, in order to keep the bottom of these curtain air bags in position during the entire rollover impact, it is quite possible that the air bag would need to be tethered (or anchored) near the bottom of the window.  Often, this is accomplished through tethers to the bottom of the pillars that support the roof on sides of the vehicle.

NHTSA estimates that the their proposal would add only about $34 per vehicle, compared to the car companies’ current plans.  That is a small price to pay to save someone’s life or to prevent catastrophic injuries that will last a lifetime.

While all new vehicles sold today must have frontal airbags, many also have rollover airbags designed to protect you during rollover accidents. Unfortunately, these airbags don’t always perform properly.

The most frequent criticism of rollover airbags is their failure to deploy. This is often happens when an airbag system doesn’t have a rollover sensor.

Failure to equip a vehicle with a rollover airbag can itself be a defect. This is particularly true for vehicles with a higher risk of rolling over, such as sport utility vehicles (SUVs) and vans.

Unfortunately, some people are told their vehicles have side curtain airbags or see the “airbag” logo on the interior trim, without realizing not all of those curtain airbags will deploy in a rollover accident.

Keep in mind, salespeople at dealerships may tell customers side impact airbags will deploy in rollover crashes, even when it is not true. That kind of statement can cause the salespeople and the dealer to be held responsible for misrepresentation or fraud when the airbags don’t deploy in a rollover accident. This remains true even if the car company is at fault for failing to install a rollover airbag.

In addition to crash safety sensors, other defects include rollover airbags that “catch” on a piece of plastic trim, causing them to fail to deploy completely or properly. Some rollover airbags also include “pockets” that are not well-pressurized, allowing you to suffer severe head injuries in those locations.

In some cases, rollover airbags failed to deploy because internal components came apart during the rollover, causing the inflation gas to escape rather than inflate the airbag. This can result in you being partially or completely ejected, or being injured from hitting the inside of your car.