If you are in the process of buying a used car, you probably have noticed quite a bit the differences between older models and new ones. The fancy technology and gadgets that newer models come with do not often accompany older models. The same applies to safety equipment. Whereas new cars have state of the art safety mechanisms, older models are not equipped with the same ones or those of the same quality. This rings true with side airbags. Most car manufacturers apply side airbags to all new makes and models, but cars manufactured before the mid- to late-2000s don’t have this feature. Because of this, you may be wondering whether or not side airbags really are that important.
The short but sweet answer is that they are essential because it is better to be safe rather than sorry. But it is much more than that, so let me elaborate. To begin with, there are two different kinds of side airbags, and they serve two different purposes. One serves to protect an occupant’s head, and the other serves to protect an occupant’s chest. Both reduce the amount of injury and death during a crash, but the head-protecting side airbags are especially important. Statistically, they bring down fatality risk 22% more than the chest-protecting side airbags do. Nevertheless, if you were to find yourself in a crash—you’d likely want to be protected by both. Therefore, try aiming for a car that is equipped with not only regular airbags but side airbags too.
While on the topic of airbags, you should also know about the importance of the SRS airbag module system in a vehicle. Whether you own a brand new or used car, an airbag light reset may be necessary at one point or another. An airbag light reset erases all hard codes and crash data stored after a crash. To get an airbag light reset today, head over to the company Safety Restore!