GM INTRODUCES "SMART" AIRBAGS!

DealersEdge.com

General Motors was set to unveil new air bags at the Chicago Auto Show. They will be standard on two luxury sedans, the 2006 Buick Lucerne and the 2006 Cadillac DTS, which will go on sale this fall. The feds require all vehicles made after September 1, 2006, to have advanced air-bag systems, which determine how much to inflate the frontal air bags based on the passenger's weight, seat belt use and seating position. GM's new air bag has a tether that holds the bag back to a smaller size if it detects the passenger is seated too close, unbelted or could otherwise be injured. The tether releases if the passenger is far enough back and belted. GM said it takes the vehicle's sensors only milliseconds to determine whether to unleash the full pressure. Several GM vehicles already have advanced air bag technology, including the Cadillac Escalade, the Chevrolet Avalanche, Silverado and Suburban and the GMC Yukon.