Designed to cushion and protect occupants’ heads. Located on both the left and right sides of the vehicle, curtain-side airbags deploy from above the front and rear side windows in a side-impact collision. Advanced systems deploy the bags when sensors detect an impending rollover. The bags inflate within a fraction of a second and deflate after a few seconds. They also help shield occupants from broken side glass. In a few vehicles with three rows of seats, the curtain airbags do not reach rear-most seating. With the exception of convertibles, nearly all modern passenger vehicles include curtain-side airbags.
