Ever experience the thrill of an air bag deployment?

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I never have. I have been in numerous accidents but either the air bag did not deploy or the vehicles weren't equipped with one. However, In my line of work I saw numerous deployments and people's reactions to them.

How about you?
 
When I was little, yup. Car was a 1996 Mercury Sable with the 1st gen airbags (IIRC). They hurt/stung like mad and made my glasses fly into the backseat.
 
Nope. FWIR, the majority of drivers will not have the experience. If you wear your seatbelt properly, the front airbags are not so much of an improvement in safety. Side airbags is a different situation with significant benefits.
 
Originally Posted by KGMtech
Nope. FWIR, the majority of drivers will not have the experience. If you wear your seatbelt properly, the front airbags are not so much of an improvement in safety. Side airbags is a different situation with significant benefits.


Airbags are used in conjunction with the seat belt, the airbag absolutely improves safety. The airbag buys you more time and absorbs the energy from your body still moving at 40mph..or what ever speed the impact occurred. Seat belts retract to hold you into the seat but they also absorb crash energy, and ultimately still sends you into the airbag.

Look at any modern day crash test.
 
Yep, over a decade ago but it feels like the Terminator slapped both sides of your face with 50 grit sandpaper.
 
I have. Airbag deployed but I sit far enough away from the steering wheel that it never even touched me. They're very loud: picture someone firing a gun in the car with all of the windows and doors closed. I heard nothing but a loud ringing for the first few seconds, made me feel dazed.

And this was in a vehicle that had "defective" Takata airbags, several years before they announced the recall. Both front bags deployed, no shrapnel flew out.
 
Originally Posted by exranger06
I have. Airbag deployed but I sit far enough away from the steering wheel that it never even touched me. They're very loud: picture someone firing a gun in the car with all of the windows and doors closed. I heard nothing but a loud ringing for the first few seconds, made me feel dazed.


Same as I experienced - I will add that there is a lot of smoke and the seat belt tensioners are vicious. You couldn't pull on the seatbelt as hard as the tensioners do. We all had bruises to prove it.
 
No.
I do remember in the 1960's my Father drove past a Collision Shop and he pointed out a wrecked car saying, "see where their heads hit the windshield" ?
 
I saw the aftermath of an airbag deployment.

My son was driving a 2013 Sonata, and was hit head on from a stoned driver at 50 mph. Every airbag went off even the side airbags. It looked like white curtains hanging inside of it. Good thing that car was made good. The front end was mashed up to the firewall, but the firewall held. My son broke a couple bones in his back, and had some awful looking bruises from the seat belt.

I was amazed at how good the Sonata held up in the crash. The other car that was involved was a Saturn, and I forget the year model. All I can say is that Saturn was a piece of junk because the firewall was sitting half way in the driver seat. The driver had to be cut out with leg injuries. The Saturn driver died a few days later from head injuries. All around it was a bad scene.
 
Originally Posted by BigD1
The driver had to be cut out with leg injuries. The Saturn driver died a few days later from head injuries. All around it was a bad scene.


Glad your son was ok. Was the other driver wearing a seat belt?
 
Yes, belts are your primary safety device. Air bags are great to prevent hyperextension of the neck by keeping the head from going forward.

Side air bags are great because side impacts on the head are worse than front impacts.

Air bags only protect for one impact. If your car turns into a pinball during a crash, you better have your belts on.
 
A thrill I'll pass on, but if you're bored go to youtube and search for airbag in microwave oven videos.
 
From the smell and "smoke" they make when going off many people would comment they thought the vehicles were on fire.
 
Originally Posted by KrisZ
Yes, but my face never hit the airbag. To this day I remember the moment the airbag deployed in front of my face. The bang left my ears ringing for few seconds.

Same for me in a Caprice in the day. It wasn't a big deal. I always held the steering wheel correctly for an air bag deployment. When it happened to my dad in one of the taxis, he did not, and wound up with sore hands for a number of days.
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Got hit head on at 55mph in 2012 Journey. Bad deployed and deflated and Jouney went into a berm head on for second impact and bag had deflated. knocked the wind out of me and no broken bones, but my hernia mesh in my chest had to be removed since it became infected and had to wait 2 years to get rid of all the infection. Still dread that spot in the road.
 
Originally Posted by MasterSolenoid
No.I do remember in the 1960's my Father drove past a Collision Shop and he pointed out a wrecked car saying, "see where their heads hit the windshield" ?

One of my friends hit the windshield of a '63 Ford (in 1965 or 1966) when someone who had lived in the area many years before ran a stop sign he wasn't expecting to find. The sun was low on the horizon which further complicated the driving situation. My friend's forehead looked like hamburger for months. He still has quite significant scars.

Another friend broke his neck in a car crash the summer before med school. It was a high cervical fracture where a small move could have been fatal. He said his head felt detached from his body so he grabbed it with both hands and wouldn't let go. An x-ray tech wanted him to move his head to get additional views but he wouldn't let them move his head until someone looked at his first x-rays - and immediately saw the fracture. So he spent much of the summer before med school in halo traction. He has scars from the halo traction but otherwise made a full recovery. Smart but also lucky!

So I'm happy to have shoulder harnesses and airbags in my cars.
 
I T boned a mini van at about 20 mph in a 92 LeSabre. Air bag was like someone throwing an overinflated basketball at my face. Nose and front teeth/gums bleeding.
 
Originally Posted by Kestas
Yes, belts are your primary safety device. Air bags are great to prevent hyperextension of the neck by keeping the head from going forward.

Side air bags are great because side impacts on the head are worse than front impacts.

Air bags only protect for one impact. If your car turns into a pinball during a crash, you better have your belts on.



Great post kestas...

And I bet you are right that side impacts are indeed worse in their own way. Especially given all there is separating you is a door... Wonder if foam in the doors would help?? I'd think so.
 
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