Low risk deployment passenger airbag system with knee protection

A passenger airbag system for an automotive vehicle having a passenger compartment, a windshield, and an instrument panel disposed between the passenger compartment and windshield, the instrument panel having a top portion adjacent the windshield, a lower portion with a surface that is generally directed toward the legs of an occupant in the passenger compartment and a mid portion with a surface that extends between the top portion and the lower portion, the passenger airbag system comprising:

• a first airbag having a housing disposed in the instrument panel and an airbag cushion deployable from the housing through the instrument panel along a predetermined path for direct contact with the head and torso of an adult occupant sitting in the passenger compartment;
• and
• a second airbag having a housing disposed in the instrument panel and an airbag cushion deployable from the housing through the instrument panel along a predetermined path for direct contact with an occupant seated in the passenger compartment, the second airbag cushion having an upper portion for contacting the torso of the occupant and a lower portion after deployment that at least partially fills a space between the occupant's lower extremities and the lower portion of the instrument panel, the second airbag cushion further having a membrane separating the upper portion from the lower portion.