# Driver Appendage Protectors The GM Front Center Airbag is a Lifesaving Device By Michael Hines | Published 2011-10-02 | Autos Source: Trend Hunter, https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/gm-front-center-airbag References: [dvice](http://dvice.com/archives/2011/09/front-center-ai.php) & [media.gm](http://media.gm.com/content/media/us/en/gm/news.detail.html/content/Pages/news/us/en/2011/Sep/0929_airbag) Drivers may have a new reason to buy American thanks to the new [GM](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/onstar-connected-services) front center airbag. The engineers at [General Motors](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/super-cruise-feature) have created what is being touted as the industry's first front center airbag, a safety device designed to protect a driver on the opposite side of a t-bone collision. The front center airbag is designed to work in conjunction with the side curtain airbag that is deployed from the driver's window during a crash. According to GM, far-side impact crashes account for 11% of all automotive fatalities for belted drivers. This new airbag may not sound like much, but the video and the photos here clearly show what a huge difference it could make. The GM front center airbag will be installed in the 2013 editions of the [Buick](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/vehicle-accessibility) Enclave, GMC Acadia and Chevrolet Traverse. ## Trend Insights (Trend Hunter) - Score: 1.3/10 - Popularity: 15% | Activity: 17% | Freshness: 8% - Audience gender: 70% men, 30% women - Primary generations: Millennial - Top markets: North America, Europe ## Categories [Trend Hunter](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends) > [Autos](https://www.trendhunter.com/autos) ## Key Themes ### What's Driving This Trend - **Front Center Airbags:** The development of front center airbags presents new safety opportunities for the automotive industry. - **Far-side Impact Safety:** The use of far-side impact safety features has the potential to revolutionize car safety. - **American-made Safety Features:** American-made safety features could become a key selling point for the automotive industry. ### Who This Affects Most - **Automotive:** The automotive industry can explore innovative far-side impact safety features such as front center airbags. - **Manufacturing:** Manufacturing companies involved in producing automotive safety features can focus on developing front center airbags. - **Consumer Goods:** The development of advanced safety features such as front center airbags will attract consumers to car brands. ## Related on Trend Hunter - [Airbag-Integrated Bicycle Helmets](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/airbag-bicycle-helmet.md) - [American Safety-Focused Supercars](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/glickenhaus-004-supercar.md) - [Rotating Vehicle Cabins](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/active-cockpit.md) - [Airbag Cyclist Safety Systems](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/aerobag-system.md) - [Hands-Free Driving Features](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/super-cruise-feature.md) - [Automated Adaptation Safety Belts](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/multiadaptive-safety-belt.md) - [Airbag-Deploying Travel Backpacks](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/stan-airbag.md) - [Vehicle Accessibility Initiatives](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/vehicle-accessibility.md) - [Impact-Detecting Car Devices](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/bmmpr-one.md)