Did they have airbags in the 90s?
Yes. Airbags were in use during the 1990s, with driver airbags appearing in some cars earlier and front airbags becoming standard on many new vehicles by the end of the decade. The technology evolved rapidly through the 1990s, expanding from basic front airbags to include side and curtain protections in more models.
Origins and momentum of adoption
Airbags began in the 1980s as a safety feature in a limited set of luxury and experimental programs, then spread to a broader range of vehicles through the 1990s. The United States played a key role in accelerating adoption through regulatory standards, while Europe and Japan followed with their own timelines. The decade saw a shift from optional airbags on select trims to widespread availability, and eventually to mainstream safety equipment in most new cars.
Key milestones in the 1980s and 1990s:
- Early 1980s: the first production driver airbags appeared in select luxury models, notably in some Mercedes-Benz vehicles.
- Late 1980s: airbags began appearing in additional markets and models, including some passenger-side variants in certain cars.
- Early to mid-1990s: the U.S. market saw airbags offered more broadly, with many models including dual front airbags as options or on higher trims.
- 1998: the United States enacted a federal rule requiring front airbags on all new passenger cars and light trucks, accelerating widespread adoption.
- Late 1990s: side airbags and curtain (head/side) airbags started to appear in new models, expanding protection beyond the front seats.
These milestones illustrate a rapid ramp-up in both the availability and sophistication of airbags throughout the decade. By the late 1990s, a typical new car in many markets was equipped with at least a front airbag, and increasingly with additional airbags for side and curtain protection.
United States snapshot
In the U.S., airbags became a near-necessity on new cars by the end of the 1990s. Front airbags were standard on most new passenger cars and light trucks as a result of regulatory action in 1998, while dual front airbags were common even earlier in many models. Side and curtain airbags began appearing in higher percentages of new vehicles as the decade progressed.
Europe and Japan snapshot
Europe and Japan followed a similar trajectory, with early adopters in luxury segments and broader rollout across mainstream models through the mid-to-late 1990s. By the end of the decade, many European and Japanese cars offered front airbags as standard or widely available, with side and curtain airbags becoming more common in new models as well.
What kinds of airbags were common in the 1990s:
- Front airbags for the driver and front passenger
- Side torso airbags (introduced in the latter half of the decade)
- Curtain or head protection airbags in some vehicles
- Knee airbags began to appear in a limited number of models toward the end of the decade
By the end of the 1990s, many new cars offered multiple airbags as standard or as part of higher-trim packages, marking a clear shift toward enhanced occupant protection across the automotive industry.
Summary
The 1990s marked a turning point for airbags: from early pilot deployments to broad-based adoption, with front airbags becoming standard in the United States by 1998 and side/curtain airbags becoming more common by the decade's end. Across regions, automakers expanded protection options, laying the groundwork for the more sophisticated restraint systems found in today’s vehicles.
