Airbag Stories
07-11-2006, 08:43 AM
#27
Black and B-E-A-UTIFUL!
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Current airbags are randomly tested by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) in what are called OOP tests (occupant out of position). We place a child sized crash test dummy in a non-moving vehicle, in a "worst case" position, such as leaning against the seat airbag, or against the door panel directly below the curtain airbag. The airbag is remotely fired and the injuries for the dummy are recorded. If an airbag causes serious injuries, the government performs an investigation and legal action/recalls can insue.
Point being that advanced deployment airbags (found in ALL cars produced after September 1, 2006 and in 65% of cars produced from September 1, 2004 - 2006) SHOULD NOT cause you or your children harm when/if they deploy. However, it is important to note that these tests are looking for SERIOUS injuries (mainly to the head, neck, and chest). Things like broken arms, noses, etc. are not accounted for. The safest place for you is as far from the airbag as possible...the safest place for your children is in the back seat.
A great resource for all of this information is www.safercar.gov
Also, to address the original post. Glad to hear that no one was injured. It is interesting, however, that your airbags deployed. We run deer-car impact simulations to ensure that airbags DO NOT deploy in a situation like this. Mainly because, as in your case, they are not necessary. The seatbelt provides enough force to keep you in place, since you are not decelerating all that quickly. Airbag sensing systems are quite complex, and there are too many factors to make a fair judgment. Apparently one of the front impact sensors detected enough deceleration to cause deployment. Glad to hear everyone was ok...except the deer
Point being that advanced deployment airbags (found in ALL cars produced after September 1, 2006 and in 65% of cars produced from September 1, 2004 - 2006) SHOULD NOT cause you or your children harm when/if they deploy. However, it is important to note that these tests are looking for SERIOUS injuries (mainly to the head, neck, and chest). Things like broken arms, noses, etc. are not accounted for. The safest place for you is as far from the airbag as possible...the safest place for your children is in the back seat.
A great resource for all of this information is www.safercar.gov
Also, to address the original post. Glad to hear that no one was injured. It is interesting, however, that your airbags deployed. We run deer-car impact simulations to ensure that airbags DO NOT deploy in a situation like this. Mainly because, as in your case, they are not necessary. The seatbelt provides enough force to keep you in place, since you are not decelerating all that quickly. Airbag sensing systems are quite complex, and there are too many factors to make a fair judgment. Apparently one of the front impact sensors detected enough deceleration to cause deployment. Glad to hear everyone was ok...except the deer
Last edited by wisconsinben; 07-11-2006 at 08:51 AM.
07-11-2006, 09:18 AM
#28
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Originally Posted by wisconsinben
Current airbags are randomly tested by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) in what are called OOP tests (occupant out of position).
Originally Posted by wisconsinben
We place a child sized crash test dummy in a non-moving vehicle, in a "worst case" position, such as leaning against the seat airbag, or against the door panel directly below the curtain airbag.
Originally Posted by wisconsinben
The safest place for you is as far from the airbag as possible...the safest place for your children is in the back seat.
I *almost* passed on the RX-8 due to my need to transport 3 children. Can't put them all in the back. However, the oldest is a `tween and fast becoming a teen and thus nearly adult sized so the merits of my oldest in the front seat has become an question of splitting hairs and is fast becoming completely moot.
Originally Posted by wisconsinben
Also, to address the original post. Glad to hear that no one was injured. It is interesting, however, that your airbags deployed. We run deer-car impact simulations to ensure that airbags DO NOT deploy in a situation like this. Mainly because, as in your case, they are not necessary. The seatbelt provides enough force to keep you in place, since you are not decelerating all that quickly. Airbag sensing systems are quite complex, and there are too many factors to make a fair judgment. Apparently one of the front impact sensors detected enough deceleration to cause deployment. Glad to hear everyone was ok...except the deer
I was going 55mph so even striking a 200lb deer is a substantial whallop. Much less that hitting a 3,000lb car, but still substantial. When you run deer-car impact simulations what vehicle velocity and deer mass do you use?
I actually questioned the dealer about the airbag deployment because there seemed to be hardly any force at all. I know RX-8s have a two-stage airbag and my deployment *must* have been only the reduced power 1st stage. However, the dealer said they were unable to read the flight recorder and see what the sensors had said and what the controller decided. I was quite disappointed.
Thanks for contributing!
07-11-2006, 09:39 AM
#29
Black and B-E-A-UTIFUL!
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I'm not sure of the exact speed and weight, however, I believe the "deer" is less than 200lbs (more like 150) and test speed is somewhere between 35-55mph. Sorry for the poor information here, but I'm not directly involved in this type of testing. Here's a link to our website regarding these tests:
http://www.mgaresearch.com/products_...eer_Impact.htm
I also like your parenting ideas...good to keep the sleeping kiddies away from the airbags, and unless your oldest son is very small for his size...he should be fine in the front seat. I believe the general recommendation is for them to remain in the rear seats until the age of 10 (again for average sized children).
http://www.mgaresearch.com/products_...eer_Impact.htm
I also like your parenting ideas...good to keep the sleeping kiddies away from the airbags, and unless your oldest son is very small for his size...he should be fine in the front seat. I believe the general recommendation is for them to remain in the rear seats until the age of 10 (again for average sized children).
12-01-2006, 09:06 PM
#30
.:. causing mischief
*BUMP*
i know you only want first-hand accounts, but this is the best i can do:
at the track this fall an RX-8 was in a side crash (he got loose and i believe the rear end slid around). the car hit a concrete barrier wall with the rear passenger side panel first and then bounced off to hit the front quarter panel (pretty much totalling the car from both sides -- major frame damage). the only reason i write this is that i got to inspect the side airbags in the wreckage after this had happened.
one came out of the side of the front passenger seat and was deflated so i couldnt see it anymore (the door did not open). i dont remember if the window was still intact or not. the side ones for the front/rear passengers were both hanging down and visible. the rear window was shattered (yea, i cut my forehead on it when i tried to peek further into the car ... what an idiot!) they looked like cheap pinkish fabric-y type material in an accordian fold. they were loosely held together with some string. i was surprised at how silly and cheap they looked hanging there, i think i was expecting something more hi-tech. but im sure if it was my head hitting the silly accordian thing vs the window i'll take the accordian any day of the week.
i dont recall the front passenger airbag being deployed at all. the driver came out of it just fine, but the car was totalled (and no, it was not silver).
i know you only want first-hand accounts, but this is the best i can do:
at the track this fall an RX-8 was in a side crash (he got loose and i believe the rear end slid around). the car hit a concrete barrier wall with the rear passenger side panel first and then bounced off to hit the front quarter panel (pretty much totalling the car from both sides -- major frame damage). the only reason i write this is that i got to inspect the side airbags in the wreckage after this had happened.
one came out of the side of the front passenger seat and was deflated so i couldnt see it anymore (the door did not open). i dont remember if the window was still intact or not. the side ones for the front/rear passengers were both hanging down and visible. the rear window was shattered (yea, i cut my forehead on it when i tried to peek further into the car ... what an idiot!) they looked like cheap pinkish fabric-y type material in an accordian fold. they were loosely held together with some string. i was surprised at how silly and cheap they looked hanging there, i think i was expecting something more hi-tech. but im sure if it was my head hitting the silly accordian thing vs the window i'll take the accordian any day of the week.
i dont recall the front passenger airbag being deployed at all. the driver came out of it just fine, but the car was totalled (and no, it was not silver).
12-02-2006, 08:36 PM
#31
Moof
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here's an excerpt of my story, as posted by me on NASIOC (http://forums.nasioc.com/forums/show....php?t=1114050):
i was wearing a hat and glasses at the time, and was holding the wheel with two hands at 9 and 3. my hands were not knocked off, my hat _was_ knocked off, but my glasses (and eyes!) remained unmolested. no damage from the seatbelt either, although my passenger crunched his digital camera between his chest and the shoulder belt during the impact.
(oh, and the car ended up being totaled, and i have a 2004 RX-8 as a result!)
Originally Posted by shikataganai
[...] as the tires regained traction the car's tail swung back from the left to the right. i now found myself headed left in a right turn, with scant feet left between the car's nose and the wall.
the impact was at a 60 degree angle, approximately, with the origin pointing straight down the road. it was a loud bang, both from the sound of crunching metal and carbon and from the deployment of the two front airbags. incidentally, airbags smell of gunpowder after they've gone off, and leave a fine dust floating in the air for several minutes.
as we surveyed the damage another car spun at the same spot. an image of a white camry travelling backwards towards chris and me is now marked indelibly in my mind. [...]
the impact was at a 60 degree angle, approximately, with the origin pointing straight down the road. it was a loud bang, both from the sound of crunching metal and carbon and from the deployment of the two front airbags. incidentally, airbags smell of gunpowder after they've gone off, and leave a fine dust floating in the air for several minutes.
as we surveyed the damage another car spun at the same spot. an image of a white camry travelling backwards towards chris and me is now marked indelibly in my mind. [...]
i was wearing a hat and glasses at the time, and was holding the wheel with two hands at 9 and 3. my hands were not knocked off, my hat _was_ knocked off, but my glasses (and eyes!) remained unmolested. no damage from the seatbelt either, although my passenger crunched his digital camera between his chest and the shoulder belt during the impact.
(oh, and the car ended up being totaled, and i have a 2004 RX-8 as a result!)
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