Sales of textile-based automotive airbags set to increase

Textiles Intelligence predicts that sales of textile-based automotive airbags are set to increase rapidly between 2010 and 2017, following two tough years in 2008 and 2009 when global sales of light vehicles fell sharply. In the U.S. the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) is improving standards of protection against side-impact crashes; the new standards are expected to open new areas of growth, including inflatable curtains and knee airbags.

Demand for new cars in Brazil, China and India, as well as other parts of Asia, has been growing significantly in recent years thanks to rising employment levels, economic prosperity and increases in discretionary income. Light vehicle production in Japan, Western Europe and the U.S. is forecast to remain below 2007 levels until at least 2017.