A driver airbag cushion includes a front panel and a rear panel that are joined together along a joined perimeter to form an airbag cushion. The airbag cushion is shrunken in diameter along the joined perimeter by a means of a short rope, a group of pleats, or a group of short tethers to form a spool shaped airbag cushion when fully inflated with a recess along the perimeter outside the airbag cushion. The airbag volume is reduced by 20 to 30% while keeping or improving the effectiveness of the occupant protection. The inflator output is significantly reduced so that a low output single stage inflator can be used.