Model Y will inflate airbags ahead of collision when FSD cameras register a head-on crash as imminent

Instead of using the traditional bumper and other sensors to deploy airbags in a split second when the vehicle gets into an accident, Tesla cars will use their cameras to inflate them beforehand.

The controversial option is touted as a vehicle safety "enhancement" of the Frontal Airbag System in the Tesla's newest 2025.32.3 software update. "Building on top of regulatory and industry crash testing, this release enables front airbags to begin to inflate and restrain occupants earlier, in a way that only Tesla’s integrated systems are capable of doing, making your car safer over time," tips the EV maker.

The current airbag deployment technology uses accelerometers and pressure sensors to register a collision and shoot out the airbags, but only upon impact. Tesla vehicles consistently earn 5-star safety ratings, yet it is still trying to change this paradigm. Its innovative approach will now leverage the Tesla Vision camera set found on all sides of the vehicle to detect an imminent crash and inflate the airbags in the second before it happens.

The positives of such an approach for the safety of vehicle occupants are numerous. Vital body parts of the driver and passengers will be cushioned ahead of the actual blow, for one, and the dreaded whiplash that is a source of major injuries is less likely to occur.

Such a pre-crash airbag deployment feature can also bring plenty of negative experiences, too, mainly on account of false positives. If Tesla can't correctly identify a fast approaching object that, however, is not on a collision course with the car, the airbags will be deployed for naught, which could in turn greatly endanger the safety of its occupants.

Perhaps this is why Tesla will use the new airbag deployment option only for scenarios when a head-on collision looks unavoidable, and in addition to the existing pressure and other sensors that detect the actual impact.

Tesla has undoubtedly tested a number of scenarios before it put its trust in the Tesla Vision camera kit and FSD software for deployment control. Still, it remains to be seen how the Frontal Airbag System Enhancement would work in practice over time when it arrives as an OTA update to the 2022 and later Model Y and Model 3 units.

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