Airbag System

Invention of the Airbag

I. Introduction:

We all see car airbags as something we can’t live without in a car. But as little as 43 years ago, airbags were not standard in any vehicle. Allen Breed invented the first airbag system in 1968 and since then, airbags have become a standard in every car on the road today.

II. Discovery:

In 1968 Allen Breed invented and held the only patent to what was then called the first “sensor and safety system”, which was a crash sensing airbag system. There was another version of the airbag invented in the 1950’s but it was not crash sensing. Walter Linderer invented this airbag, which never became standard in any cars. It was made out of and air compressed system, which went off by bumper contact or manually by the driver. But during the sixties, researchers found out that the bags did not inflate fast enough to be safe. During the 1970’s automobile makers began to use Breed’s airbag system in their vehicles. Airbags have become more advanced since then, and by 1989 became mandatory in almost every vehicle.

III. Biography of Inventor:

Allen Breed had been very influential to the car safety industry. After earning his mechanical engineering degree from Northwestern University he began to working on his own inventions and starting his own business. In 1961, Breed began his own company called the Breed Corp, which specialized in making safety devices for the US army. In 1968, he used the ideas he had for the military and applied them to everyday vehicles. He became the inventor of the first crash-sensing airbag, which we still use today. In 1987, Allen Breed founded Breed Automotive to distribute his airbag system. Because of his help with the automotive industry, Breed has earned many different awards. He has been elected “National Entrepreneur of the Year,” and has been in many halls of fame.

IV. Impact on the World:

I believe that Allen Breed’s invention of the crash-sensing airbag has had a huge impact on the world. Without it, cars would be extremely unsafe. This system has improved the safety of every car, and without it we would probably have more fatal car crashes in the world.