Ford has improved the Mustang’s airbag system.The 2015 model will include a new knee airbag for the front passenger, giving the vehicle a total of eight airbags, twice as many as the 2014 model. The new Mustang will feature an active glove box with an airbag embedded in the door that inflates and causes the glove compartment door to spring forward to protect the passenger’s knees in the event of a crash.
A knee airbag must inflate downward and forward and be able to absorb an impact from the passenger’s knees. The airbag in the glove box door acts as a cushion and is able to distribute the force of the impact over a wider area than a traditional airbag.
Rather than being made of fabric, the airbag in the active glove box is made of an inflatable plastic bladder located between the inner and outer panels of the glove box door. It is made of the same plastic as the glove box outer door, but it is relatively pliant. The airbag acts more as a springboard to absorb an impact than a rigid surface.
Ford decided to use this design, rather than a traditional knee airbag, because of space and weight considerations. Since it requires less inflation pressure than a conventional airbag, the new design is 65 percent lighter and 75 percent smaller.
The airbag does not reduce the amount of space in the glove box because it pops the door forward. The design allows the glove box to sit farther forward than previous designs, which provides additional space for the front passenger.
Ford says the active glove box provides protection for a passenger comparable to the protection from a traditional knee airbag. The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety has not yet tested the airbags.