[honeybee]

Originally Posted by phynix123

You do have a point here, but it's only based on assumption that people will risk their life for the compensation they "might" get

No matter who's fault the accident was, be it due to rash driving (once again, I don't encourage rash driving in any way here), if the safety equipment in a car fails, it's the manufacturer's fault. If the airbag doesn't deploy it's visible (ABS not kicking in can't be proved easily) to everyone, and the blame should always go to the manufacturer for providing with inferior quality equipment and compromising with safety of it's customers.

I have read about cases where the Motor Accident Tribunal awarded a reduced compensation to an accident victim as he wasn't wearing a helmet and this aggravated the nature of his injuries. It's something called contributcontributory negligence.

Even in this case it clearly shows contributory negligence on part of the driver for driving rashly. This rash driving is what caused the accident in the first place. By all means if the airbags didn't deploy when they should have, investigate and penalise the manufacturer, but do also take into account the rash driving, is what I am saying.

[sinharishi]

Originally Posted by MHG

Do you have details of the velocity of the crash ? The car looks remarkably stable judging from the image. Since the Liva hasn't yet been tested by Global NCAP, I am quite curious.

I read it on Facebook. Shared it here as this is the second time airbags did not deploy in a Toyota vehicle. I have no further details on the speed of car when it collided with the oncoming vehicle.

If you notice, the front passenger was not wearing seat belt and banged his head on the wind shield.

[zenren]

Originally Posted by sinharishi

You might want to read this :

https://www.facebook.com/Ajit.Menon2...04710521175351

Though the service advisor's reply was probably among the worst worded replies for that situation, there is a chance the airbags didn't get deployed as they were not wearing seat belts. Passenger didn't wear seat belts for sure and it is unclear if the driver was wearing it.

Does anyone know if airbags in Toyota vehicles are linked to seatbelts? There is a chance of that too, since there are many vehicles where the airbag sensors are not activated unless the primary restraint is engaged.

[sinharishi]

Originally Posted by zenren

Does anyone know if airbags in Toyota vehicles are linked to seatbelts?

Found this on the net :

http://www.toyota-global.com/innovat...ve/airbag.html

The SRS Airbag System is designed to supplement the seatbelt system and improve occupant protection in certain type of crushes.
Airbags supplement the seat belt and enhance passenger safety in certain types of collision.

--------------------------------------------

A document explaining the SRS Airbag system in detail,including a system diagram

The SRS driver and front passenger airbags are used as supplements to the seat belts to help reduce shocks
applied to the head and chest of the driver or front passenger in the event of a frontal impact collision.

http://www.brockandbecca.com/files/f...rs_airbags.pdf

--------------------------------------------

From the wiki:

Airbags are normally designed with the intention of supplementing the protection of an occupant who is correctly restrained with a seat belt.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Airbag

[ranjan84]

Originally Posted by sinharishi

You might want to read this :

https://www.facebook.com/Ajit.Menon2...04710521175351

Thanks for sharing this; sad story. Toyota needs to come clean on the models affected by the Takata mess. Not saying that just in the context of this Etios crash; not sure if occupants were buckled.

[honeybee]

I guess front airbags would not deploy if the occupants are not buckled. The owner's manual lays a lot of stress on how the airbags work and how occupants should seat and buckle themselves.

[lifebuoy]

Originally Posted by latentpotential

Wont this be contested in court again by Toyota? Further an isolated case like this wont really help anyone, we all know how long other cases we have been following here have been stuck in the courts.

Toyota's counsel actually agreed to the payout - as did the complainant. Why ? Both guessed that this is the easiest way to settle the matter and not rake it up further.

As far as Toyota goes, if the company did believe in their Q policies of quality and technology why did they not fight it out ? How can the air bags get deployed when the frontal impact was with a thin and vertical device ? What are the detection capabilities and tolerances of the sensor system to deploy the bags ?

That shows the lack of confidence in their product AND the shoddy legal system in our country, both.

[Guna]

I came across this post on Facebook and thought of bringing the incident to the attention of the community.
@mods pls make it a separate thread if required

"Airbag didn’t deploy? It’s because car didn’t collide properly!!!!

When my boss, Mr. Nair bashed his Toyota Ethios car head-on at the Ernakulam-Alleppey highway, he suffered injuries and his co-passenger was hospitalized for 2 weeks.

When he informed his Toyota dealer that Airbags did not deploy, their reply was, “It’s because you did not collide properly”. !!!!

Mr. Nair then asked them, ‘Then how must I collide for the airbags to function properly? How can I trust this vehicle again?’

Hope they will also give training to bang cars right so that air bags get deployed.

I am requesting you to forward it so that by the power of social media, it will get noticed by the Toyota officials. And they will take the necessary steps to ensure safety."

[StarScream]

And now Honda admits to not entirely coming clean in the U.S.:

http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2014-1...t-u-s-law.html

[Turbanator]

I am requesting you to forward it so that by the power of social media, it will get noticed by the Toyota officials. And they will take the necessary steps to ensure safety."

looks its on NDTV

Among all the car buyers in India, few go for a car with airbags as an option because of the high-cost associated with it. However, what if you did buy a car with airbags which didn't work during a collision? Mr. Anil Nair found out recently when he met with an accident at the Ernakulam-Alleppey highway in Kerala.

http://auto.ndtv.com/news/airbags-di...from=home-auto

[shady_lawyer]

Originally Posted by SS-Traveller

Not often does one find Fortuners smashed up so badly. Interesting part is, airbags haven't deployed. Found it parked at our local police station this morning. No idea of when and where this happened.

SST Sir posted this in the Accidents thread. Does this point to "yet another" failure of airbag deployment and is this becoming an across the board problem or was there a particular reason the airbags failed to deploy?

[Dushyanth]

Well, I would like to share my view here.
People generally install bull bars to their cars to avoid any scratches and dents which usually occur in tight urban conditions and bumper to bumper traffic.
Now, assuming that there was a bull bar as an extra fitment at the front and there was a frontal collision and if the collision was just a minimal one where just the bull bar took a small nudge, then it really wouldn't cause any serious damage to the vehicle or its occupants. (keeping in mind it's a Fortuner)
Now, if the magnitude of the collision was higher, the bull bar would simply collapse and it would have either made its way into the car where it would have definitely triggered the sensor. (if there were sufficient sensors and were placed appropriately)
So, my point here is it wouldn't have mattered if there was a bull bar at the front of the car, there have been so many instances on other manufacturer's cars which were equipped with only two front airbags like the Fortuner, and the airbags have been deployed even when the vehicle has just toppled and had not undergone any frontal impact. just like the Innova posted before in the same thread.
We shouldn't be pointing our fingers at a bull bar!
It really has got something to do with the manufacturer in the design or their understanding of the Supplemental Restraint System on their vehicle!

[greenhorn]

I came across this official response to the etios crash
http://auto.ndtv.com/news/airbags-di...-dealer-701796

[Hammer & Anvil]

I read the article. The car rolled over- how is the air bag system to deploy? Magic? This is ridiculous.
The passengers were at best not wearing seatbelts to compound the issues that they got killed.
And if the 'incident' happened at over 80kmph, the Bench should have dismissed it for beign rash and negligent.
Mostly every one is clapping that Toyota got fined- c'mon man.
I am cringing that the bench should have tossed the case out.
Overturned at over 80kmph (which is the fastest speed allowed on Indian roads) case dismissed.

[lifebuoy]

I agree with Hammer & Anvil on this aspect. However, it is my firm belief that it is sheer luck that can keep you safe on Indian Roads, especially in the northern belt, incl UP, Bihar, Jharkhand, MP, Chattisgarh.

Airbags or bull bars, no power on earth can save you from the raging bulls everywhere.