OCR Physics Car Safety

• Designed to restrain driver
• Prevents collision with windscreen
• Stretches slightly increasing distance
• Force applied in opposite direction to motion of driver
• Force applied over wider area to reduce pressure and injury

Mass is moving at the same speed as the car and needs to be brought to a stop! It's better to be stopped by the seatbelt than the windscreen :)

•  Increase the distance over which the force is acting, therefore the average force is less

• An accelerometer (spring with a mass on the end hits a switch) and triggers a chemical reaction
• This occurs when the acceleration is around 10g
• Nitrogen gas is produced and flexible nylon bag inflates
• Deflates as you hit it so you don't injure yourself

• Increases distance (and time) hence force is less
• Work done over a greater distance
• Wider area reduces pressure
• Deflates quickly to prevent whiplash/suffocation
• Prevents driver hitting steering wheel and windscreen