With a proportion of around 20 per cent, sideways collisions are the second most common type of accident after frontal collisions.
Side airbags protect the upper body and head. They boost the effect of all structural measures which are incorporated into the bodywork to protect the occupants from side impacts.
For the driver and front passenger, the side airbags are usually located in the backrests of the front seats and thus always in the right position to protect the upper body. For rear passengers, the side airbags are often housed in the door panels.
Since the side area of a car has a limited number of deformation zones and the distance between the occupants and the car door is small, in the event of a side collision there is significantly less time for detecting, activating and inflating airbags than at the front.
Head and thorax side airbags for driver and front passenger are offered on many SEAT models and in addition protect the occupants from head to rib area in a side collision.
