1971
Allen Breed-History of the Airbag. However, rudimental patents for airbags go back to the 1950s. Patent applications were submitted by German Walter Linderer and American John Hedrik as early as 1951. Walter Linderer's airbag was based on a compressed air system, either released by bumper contact or by the driver. By 1988, Chrysler became the first company to offer air bag restraint systems as standard equipment. In 1994, TRW began production of the first gas-inflated airbag. They are now mandatory in all cars since 1998. Seat belts were invented by English engineer George Cayley in the mid-19th century, though Edward J. Claghorn of New York, was granted the first patent (U.S. Patent 312,085, on February 10, 1885 for a safety belt).  He had invented in 1968 a sensor and safety system which is considered as the first electromechanical automotive airbag system. But even before that applications for patenting airbags were submitted by American John Hedrik and Walter Linderer in 1951. During the late 1980’s Chrysler were the first and the only company offering standard airbag restraint systems for safety. TRW began manufacturing the first of its type gas inflated airbag in 1994. As of today, airbags have been made compulsory from 1998 in all the cars. During the 2000s, side-impact airbags became commonplace on even low-to mid-range vehicles, such as the smaller-engined versions of the Ford Fiesta and Peugeot 206, and curtain airbags were also becoming regular features on mass-market cars. Nearly all airbags are designed to automatically deploy in the event of a vehicle fire when temperatures reach 150-200 °C (300-400 °F). This safety feature, often termed auto-ignition, helps to ensure that such temperatures do not cause an explosion of the entire airbag module. 1990 - Ford makes airbags standard equipment in its vehicles.  1990 - The first recorded accident between two vehicles in which an airbag deploys to protect each driver occurs on March 12, 1990;  1995 - Volvo offers side airbags and torso side protection airbags as an option on its 850 models; In 1967, carmaker Mercedes-Benz started to develop airbags for its vehicles. Two developments prompted that move: the rapid increase of accidents during the 1960s, and a new federal law that mandated 'automatic occupant protection systems' for every car in the USA starting in 1969. In Europe, airbags were almost entirely absent from family cars until the early 1990s. The first European Ford to feature an airbag was the facelifted Escort Mark V in 1992; within a year, the entire Ford range had at least one airbag as standard. Nearly all airbags are designed to automatically deploy in the event of a vehicle fire when temperatures reach 150-200 °C (300-400 °F). This safety feature, often termed auto-ignition, helps to ensure that such temperatures do not cause an explosion of the entire airbag module. Airbags Introduced. Airbags were offered once again as an option on the 1984 Ford Tempo automobile. By 1988, Chrysler became the first company to offer air bag restraint systems as standard equipment. In 1994, TRW began production of the first gas-inflated airbag. They are now mandatory in all cars since 1998. The Ford car company during the year 1971 for the first time introduced an experimental airbag fleet. This was followed by the testing of airbags by the General Motors on its 1973 Chevrolet automobile model. These were initially sold only to the government. The first car to run on the road with an airbag for passenger was Oldsmobile Tornado which was made available for the public in 1973. In 1975 and 1976, General Motors presented Oldsmobile and Buick automobiles respectively with full size driver side airbags. During the late 1980’s Chrysler were the first and the only company offering standard airbag restraint systems for safety. TRW began manufacturing the first of its type gas inflated airbag in 1994. As of today, airbags have been made compulsory from 1998 in all the cars. In 1967, a breakthrough occurred in the development of airbag crash sensors when Allen K. Breed invented a mechanically-based ball-in-tube component for crash detection, an electromechanical sensor with a steel ball attached to a tube by a magnet that would inflate an airbag in under 30 milliseconds. Nearly all airbags are designed to automatically deploy in the event of a vehicle fire when temperatures reach 150-200 °C (300-400 °F). This safety feature, often termed auto-ignition, helps to ensure that such temperatures do not cause an explosion of the entire airbag module.
http://inventors.about.com/od/astartinventions/a/air_bags.htm https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Seat_belt http://www.innovateus.net/invention/airbag-0 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Airbag https://www.consumeraffairs.com/news04/2006/airbags/airbags_invented.html https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Airbag http://inventors.about.com/od/astartinventions/a/air_bags.htm http://www.innovateus.net/invention/airbag-0 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Airbag
when were airbags developed