Abstract: Impact-absorbing safety matting systems include a helipad, a mat for children's play areas, and an athletic sports game surface. All systems have a surface layer with a botton and outer edges, an array of air-filled cells affixed to the bottom of the surface layer, ribs extending a defined distance from the bottom of the surface layer for defining the array of air-filled cells, sealer and aggregate spread over the surface layer and the base immediate to edges, and median ribs extending a shorter distance from the bottom of the surface layer than the defining ribs in order to give added support against a strong blow striking the surface layer and the array of air-filled cells affixed thereto.