rmc63

IMHO that impact was light enough that airbag deployment wasn't necessary.

rmc63

That's no lie! That accident happened in '01 and my ears are still ringing !!!

CosmicMiami

Yep. As I have learned, the odor from the airbag propellant I noticed was not from the airbags but from the belt tensioner that did deploy.

tvsjr

In your copious spare time, consider one of the advanced extrication classes if your department will pay for it (not to mention it's fun as hell to take brand new 6-figure cars and cut them to pieces!). You should also follow the great minds in the industry... Ron Moore (University of Extrication), Jason Defosse, Randy Schmitz, Toot Lee, etc. Cars are changing so fast these days that it's a daily struggle to keep up.

I teach this stuff and I still learn new stuff daily.

Truck22

Glad you're ok. Sorry the pizza didn't make it.

RL1990

Lots of parameters that the computer looks at when it decides if the airbags are needed. In your case because you had your seatbelt on and the impact wasn't severe or high speed the computer decided the seatbelt alone was sufficient to protect you.

Amazing when you think about how the computer gathers data from numerous sensors and makes hundreds of thousands of calculations in a fraction of a second to determine if the air bags are needed.

acdii

Bet your seatbelt no longer retracts. Not only does it retract, but will pull you right back into the seat just before the bag deploys. Been there, done that, and am still a bit sore over two years later where my ribs separated. The crash protection systems in the Fords are awesome, had two severe crashes, one in a Flex and the other in an F-150. Other than a bit sore and the separated ribs, and a scrape on my left shin, I walked away from both. Pissed, but OK.

What I can't understand is why anyone, I mean ANYONE would allow their passenger to sit with their feet on the dash while they are traveling. Even in a minor crash, if the airbag deploys, that person will either be crippled for life, or dead, where otherwise they may be a bit shaken up, but unhurt. The force of the crash will put them under the dash, the airbag will shove their legs past their head, and if they are lucky, snap their neck and kill them instantly.

idrive

iTrader: (3)

The long story short the air bag in the steering wheel blew and sent my arm back quite violently.

Shoulder hurt like hell and just wouldn't heal up. An MRI 6 weeks later showed a torn Labrum that required surgery.

There is no question that air bags save lives but they can also be dangerous.

doug97gxe

i know from first hand experience .. its like getting sucker punched in the chest