Hyundai Mobis introduces a roof airbag system

Hyundai Mobis is about to roll out one of the first-ever car roof airbag systems.

The company said Thursday that the U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) found that its automobile roof airbag system prevents severe damages to the heads and necks of passengers during traffic accidents.

Hyundai Mobis said its overhead airbag system deploys from the back to the front of an automobile in 0.08 seconds in a vehicle overturn accident to protect those inside. The device’s effectiveness was detailed in a recently-completed evaluation by the NHTSA, the auto parts maker said.

According to Hyundai Mobis, the NHTSA cited the company’s roof airbag system in a report in January on ways to prevent automobile passengers from being thrown out of a car through the roof. The results of the evaluation are helpful for a safety feature like the one from Hyundai Mobis to gain attention in the U.S. market.

Hyundai Mobis plans to market the novel airbag system to global automakers in North America, Europe and China, with a special focus on those manufacturing premium brands and large-size SUV models. It believes that its overhead airbag system will generate high demand due to high number of vehicle overturn accidents.

While there are other auto parts makers also in the competition, Hyundai Mobis, which started manufacturing airbags in 2002, said its product could be more appealing to automakers based on its 24 patents and completed evaluations on effectiveness and durability.

BY KO JUN-TAE [ko.juntae@joongang.co.kr]