Ever since airbags were introduced, there has been controversy over their effectiveness. Critic abound, pointing to all the old ladies who’ve been snapped like twigs when their first gen bags have deployed. With the arrival of the 2nd gen airbags a few years ago, manufacturers promised a kinder, gentler deployment. This promise has gone over farther over the last year or 2, with the introduction of “smart” airbags that sense the weight of the passenger seat occupant and shut the bag off if required.

Now that the 2nd gen bags have been around for a while, researchers have enough data to show that the new devices are indeed more gentle to our little ones. While they still pose some danger to a small child, the percentage is much smaller than it has been in the past.

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