Honda Recognized by U.S. Government for Innovative Airbag Technology

Safety has always been a priority for Honda engineers. As industry leaders, the brand has always led the way in safety technology and features that keep drivers safer on the road. One Honda engineer’s work was recently recognized by the U.S. Department of Transportation for developments in front airbag technology.

Leaders in Safety

As part of the initiative to promote “Safety for Everyone”, Honda engineer Eric Heitkamp created a new and improved front airbag designed to reduce injuries. Recognized at the Enhanced Safety of Vehicles conference in Japan, Heitkamp was awarded the U.S. Government Award for Safety Engineering for his innovative creation. This is the second time in a row a Honda engineer has won the award for scientific contributions to safety engineering, with Sue Bai earning the honors for her work in connected vehicle technology. Attendees include government officials, medical professionals, and other prominent leaders in various safety industries.

Heitkamp saw a gap in the way front airbags work during lateral collisions. In the past, the risk for traumatic brain injury was high when vehicles were hit from the side, causing an occupant’s head to rotate. He used data from the latest research from the U.S. Department of Transportation on brain injuries during collisions to develop an airbag system that works in a new way to significantly lower the risk of injury.

Instead of a single airbag, the new passenger airbag is made of three components that work together to reduce the impact of an occupant’s head. First, an uninflated panel catches the head, decelerating and reducing the force of the impact. The panel redirects the head between two inflated panels on each side to cradle the head. Think of it as a catcher’s mitt that stretches across the dash of the passenger seat, quickly reaching out to prevent serious brain injury in the event of a collision.

The new airbag design is now a standard feature in the Honda Pilot and select Acura models. It’s one part of Honda’s work to reduce motorcycle and auto deaths to zero by 2050. Much of the testing for Heitkamp’s new airbag was performed at Honda’s cutting-edge crash test facilities located in Japan and the United States.

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