Since 2019, Scania’s trucks can be equipped with rollover side curtain airbags integrated into the headliner moulding above the doors. The aim of this is to provide significantly-enhanced protection for those travelling in the vehicle in the event of a rollover, which is one of the most serious types of HGV accidents.
“Our rollover side curtain airbag – particularly when combined with the steering wheel airbag and our seat belt pretensioners – ensures that the driver and any passengers on board will have a much better chance of surviving a rollover accident in one of the new generation of Scania trucks, with far less severe consequences than would be the case in any other truck ,” says Christofer Karlsson, who was responsible for the development of Scania’s crash safety system.
How side curtain airbags work
A common reason for trucks rolling over is that the driver is forced to carry out evasive action to avoid an oncoming vehicle or an obstruction.
If the truck then ends up off the road, there is rarely sufficient load-bearing capacity, so the vehicle may topple onto its side or even roll over at higher speeds.
Advanced systems with sensors determine when and if the rollover side curtain airbags and any other airbags should be deployed; and when deployed, the airbags inflate instantaneously.