VEHICLE COLLISION DAMAGE REDUCTION SYSTEM

摘要

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To reduce a vehicle collision damage appropriately in accordance with the mode of frontal collision.SOLUTION: Upon a frontal collision of an automobile 12, an airbag ECU detects whether a mode of the frontal collision is a full lap collision (a symmetric collision) or another collision (an asymmetric collision), on the basis of signals from left and right satellite sensors 60. If the asymmetric collision is detected, the airbag ECU operates an inflator to expand a body airbag 52 disposed on the front face of a dash panel 46 so as to suppress a deformation on the aforementioned collision side since a collision load is concentrated on the collision side of a vehicle-body front part 14. While in the case of the mode of the frontal collision being a symmetric collision, both of left and right sides of the vehicle-body front part 14 that is defined as a crushable zone are deformed in good balance, absorbing the collision energy effectively. In this event, the airbag ECU does not operate the inflator, preventing the expansion of the body airbag 52 from impeding deformation of the crushable zone.