[Raghu M]

Glad you are safe to tell the story. If that crash does not deploy airbags, I don't know what will. Any excuse or reason for airbags not deploying on such an impact will be stupid and lame. All 6 airbags should have blasted open to keep you guys safer. Out of my imagination.

[Kickdown]

Originally Posted by Rahulbarik

Unfortunately, i will not be able to start my journey in team-bhp on a happy note as i have recently lost my 2016 Ford Ecosport 1.5 tdci Titanium + in an almost fatal crash. Yet luckily, i lived. And lived to tell the story.

OMG! Those are scary looking pics of your car. Happy to know you came out safe albeit minor injuries. Hope your friends are doing fine too.

Coming to the non-deployment of airbags – we must understand that at the end of the day it’s a mechanical device which needs a tigger input from the sensors on impact (I know it’s more complicated than that). I am sure and I hope I am right to assume that car companies test those rigorously in all possible scenarios. But no amount of supervised testing can replicate a real-world scenario, yours being the case in point. Why would a car maker provide a car with ‘n’ number of airbags and won’t want those to be deployed when needed? Its not like they need to replace them for free. I am not trying to defend Ford or any other car maker here. Would love to see airbags deploy flawlessly every time there is an impact. But then there is always a ‘but’! Isn’t it.

I think you should consider yourself very lucky that you had a sturdy little car which saved precious lives in this case. I suggest take the insurance money and utilize your time researching a new car for yourself rather than waste it on bygones. But if you still want to pursue it further then I am sure you will find lot of experts here who can help you with that.

Cheers, and happy driving.

[Kosfactor]

Originally Posted by gkveda

Theoretically, is there any difference between this car and say, Maruti 800 with respect to safety features?( let us not talk about metal thickness etc)

I am a survivor of an M800 crash , it was an early 90s model with seatbelt. The habit of wearing seatbelt came in handy when my older colleage lost control of the vehicle and crashed into an electric pole head on.

M800 does have a crumple zone and the doors did open. I had a nice seat belt burn across my upper body and that is about it. The small wonder did save our life and got back on the road after a few weeks.

[Nomad]

Glad you are fine! I read your post like a horror story. My advice would be to file a case against Ford in consumer forum. Consumer forums are the best place to fight out these terrible dereliction. You don't need a lawyer and can represent yourself. Airbags are life saving equipment and you having a fully loaded car, It should not fail. Since it happened you can demand a good compensation apart from insurance.

If everyone of us demand quality from companies and hold them accountable, poor responses and casualness of safety measures will improve.

Take Care!

Originally Posted by Rahulbarik

Hello, My name is Rahul and i belong from Kolkata. I am new to this forum and would be my first post here.
Unfortunately, i will not be able to start my journey in team-bhp on a happy note as i have recently lost my 2016 Ford Ecosport 1.5 tdci Titanium + in an almost fatal crash. Yet luckily, i lived. And lived to tell the story.
I would just write down what happened as things unfolded as i am still in a state of shock even after 1 month.

[landcruiser123]

Sorry to see hear about your accident; I hope your friends and you are recovering well.

I don't mean to sound insensitive, but there are a lot of misconceptions about airbags in India. Not saying there are no cases of faulty airbags/poorly engineered cars in India, but I'm not surprised that the airbags didn't deploy. There's no way you can fight a case against Ford and win.

Note:

• Misconception: Airbags should deploy for all accidents. Correct: Airbags are high-intensity controlled explosions. Airbags are not magical soft pillows that appear during a collision. If triggered at wrong time, they can cause fatal injury or even death.
• Front airbags are meant for head on collisions. There are sensors - generally between the headlamps and front wheel wells. Since this area is more or less intact in your car, there is no reason the front airbag has deployed.
• Side and curtain airbags are meant for side-on collisions. If your side doors face significant direct impact which causes deformation(generally at the middle of the door), the airbags are deployed. There are also other factors like the speed, angle of the vehicle, etc. While the door frame is damaged, there is minimal damage to your doors - so no surprise the airbags didn't deploy.

Why Don't we have more airbags for every type of collision?

• Down to cost and complexity. No two accidents are the same
• While the rare freaky accident is unavoidable, the US and EU have worked many years to improve/standardize road infrastructure and traffic management to eliminate most types of accidents
• The only accidents with high fatality (that can't be eliminated) are the head on collisions and side-on collisions
• Airbags are only designed for the above two types of collisions and can't protect users from every single type of accident
• Unfortunately, it is not easy nor cheap to re-do R&D for other type of accidents
• Solution: Wear your seatbelt and drive safe.

[McLaren Rulez]

Those who claim that airbags should not deploy or that it might be worse for you if the airbags did deploy are talking nonsense. Any rollover crash, regardless of other parameters, should result in airbag deployment. Whether Ford cuts costs by not having enough accelerometers or whether something malfunctioned - it's hard to say.

The second part to this is that this is one of those cases where you will never get a straight answer from the company. They'll hide behind the same bad logic that your dealer is trying and put out technical mumbo jumbo to justify what has happened. They're not the only company - Toyota has had a slew of accidents where the airbags clearly should deploy but don't and they hide behind these same ridiculous excuses. Have a look on the forum for threads like this - https://www.team-bhp.com/forum/road-...se-pg-7-a.html (Toyota Fortuner crashes, Air bags did not deploy *EDIT* Another similar case Pg.7).

You could try your luck with consumer courts but honestly, that depends on whether you have the time and patience for it. And it might also not give you a satisfactory resolution given that Ford has shut shop.

[fiat_tarun]

Originally Posted by Nomad

... My advice would be to file a case against Ford in consumer forum.
...

Originally Posted by McLaren Rulez

Those who claim that airbags should not deploy or that it might be worse for you if the airbags did deploy are talking nonsense. Any rollover crash, regardless of other parameters, should result in airbag deployment. Whether Ford cuts costs by not having enough accelerometers or whether something malfunctioned - it's hard to say.

...

Guys, I understand the emotions with this situation but such advice without proper data will only make it worse for the OP over and above what he has already gone through. Besides other readers also wrongly assume Airbags will deploy irrespective of the type of accident as Bhpian landcruiser123 has mentioned.

Ford will only have to show the manual which clearly states when the Airbag's have to deploy and will throw out any case filed for this.

Screenshot below from the Ecosport (pre facelift) which clearly states that side and curtain airbags will not deploy in overturn situations.



On the other hand I understand the facelift Ecosport has the rollover sensor in the Airbag ECU and should be able to detect such cases. See the language has changed in the manual. It does not specifically call out rollovers or overturns but says 'significant sideways motion'.

[Nomad]

In courts - The argument around technicalities of nondeployment of airbags will not stand. The company can write whatever they want in their manual. In court the argument is in the line of "what is the basic function of airbag". Its to protect in case of a fatal accident. Next is, you are paying extra bucks for a car with 6 airbags. So it implies a contract to provide a certain level of service.

It all depends on how you present the case. I have fought 2 cases for a client wherein the company had detailed manuals and instructions for using and finally won the case in my favor (Not related to vehicles though) Being said - it depends on your argument and I am saying its not always what is written in the manual. Especially in consumer courts.

So you may want to try your luck!

Originally Posted by fiat_tarun

Guys, I understand the emotions with this situation but such advice without proper data will only make it worse for the OP over and above what he has already gone through. Besides other readers also wrongly assume Airbags will deploy irrespective of the type of accident as Bhpian landcruiser123 has mentioned.

[krishnakumar]

Let me preface this by saying that I don't mean to be insensitive to OP or their friends. I'm really glad that they survived with minor injuries and I wish them many more years of happy and safe driving.

Since the primary contention on this post is revolving around "Why the airbags did not deploy?", I wanted to discuss more on this front.

Isn't safety of passengers to be looked at ultimately, irrespective of the airbags deploying or not? It is known that airbags are supplementary safety systems and are not the primary reason why someone survives a crash. The way I see airbag is that, it is the last resort if everything else fails.

In the order of priority, the systems that prevent major injuries/fatalities are:

1. Avoidance through (a) safe driving practices (b) active safety systems like ESP, ABS, Rollover Mitigation etc.
2. Impact reduction through well designed crumple zones and stable cabin shell
3. Impact reduction by wearing seat belts
4. Finally, in the event none of the above are able to prevent the passengers from colliding with car's body, the airbags come in play

Exactly this being the point as said by BHPian landcruiser123:

Originally Posted by landcruiser123

Misconception: Airbags should deploy for all accidents. Correct: Airbags are high-intensity controlled explosions. Airbags are not magical soft pillows that appear during a collision. If triggered at wrong time, they can cause fatal injury or even death.

If the passengers did survive the crash without the airbag being deployed, then shouldn't we consider that the car's safety system did work perfectly well. The deployment of airbag was NOT necessary and hence it did not deploy. The car managed to keep everyone alive with minor injuries despite rolling over 8 times.

I understand the gripe with this kind of argument. But the problem is that many feel that Airbag is the first safety system that prevents injuries. It is not. It's your last resort.

[Rohan265]

Originally Posted by Rahulbarik

Hello, My name is Rahul and i belong from Kolkata. I am new to this forum and would be my first post here.

We were travelling around 80 kmph on a state by-pass road at around 3 am, when a Tata 407 came head on which made us serve left and off the road completely with all 4 wheels outside the road surface and almost into a roadside pond which was at least 4 feet lower than the road itself. Our car tilted left with left wheels touching the water, while still at 80 kmph, when my friend swerved right to get back up on the road but couldn't as the wheels couldn't grip. He kept on accelerating with the wheels spinning, hoping to bring the car up the road and avoiding getting submerged in the pond. The car was still probably at 80 kmph when suddenly the tyres gripped somehow and made the car jump up from the pond and on the road resulting in the car toppling on the left side and rolling atleast 8 times and hitting a light post and breaking a wall after hitting it and god knows what else.
My car is a TDCI TITANIUM PLUS with 6 airbags and NOT A SINGLE AIRBAG DEPLOYED. NOT EVEN THE SIDE AND CURTAIN AIRBAGS. Yes, we were having our seat belts on.

Glad to know that you and your friends are safe. I have a question though...how did you remember the sequence of events in the crash?! Assuming a speed of 80 kmph, all the sequences you mentioned would take about a couple of seconds. Yet you remember everything in detail. I am amazed.

Coming to the point regarding airbag deployment, from experience I can say that even a deployed airbag would not have helped much due to a couple of reasons. First, curtain airbags are different from rollover airbags. The standard curtain airbags are designed to deploy for a single sideways deceleration. They deploy and get diffused with a tenth of a second. Rollover airbags, on the other hand, are designed to deploy for a longer period as rollovers tend to last much longer than a normal side impact. If you say that the car has done 8 quarter turns, this means that each plane has been contacted twice. A standard curtain airbag would have deployed in the first impact on each side plane but would have probably diffused by the time the vehicle had the second impact on that plane, leaving you exposed. Second, considering the intrusions on the pillars and side rails, the curtain airbag would have deployed right in your face.
My bigger concern will be the intrusions. Such intrusions indicate that the vehicle changed gradients during the rollover. You guys are extremely lucky that you did not contact the inside of the vehicle or the ground. A single variable change here or there would have given a different story. Next time, try not to do 80 kmph on a road in which there are chances of a head-on.
Can you clear one doubt for me: If you recall, can you confirm if the front belts have lost their retraction i.e. they got stuck and did not go back to their original position?

Originally Posted by Nomad

In courts - The argument around technicalities of nondeployment of airbags will not stand. The company can write whatever they want in their manual. In court the argument is in the line of "what is the basic function of airbag". Its to protect in case of a fatal accident. Next is, you are paying extra bucks for a car with 6 airbags. So it implies a contract to provide a certain level of service.

Interesting information. So, the court just throws out technical engineering details presented as evidence? What would the courts do if information is presented that the basic function of the side airbag is to save occupants from side collisions and not rollovers?
Also, I am curious to know..how will the courts react if information is presented that the occupants were not belted, a primary requisite for airbags to be effective?

[Nomad]

Companies burry numerous technical details in manuals and in usage instructions. Many of these, for a lay man is incomprehensible. In addition they always add a motherhood statement which exonerates them from any possible malfunction. The point is, as a user, ones awareness and understanding is limited to usage and what it is suppose to deliver. On top company charges extra for airbag models and for sure it is for protection. So in consumer courts the argument is not about the technical functionality (it may play a role) but the actual use of it. In my experience, 90 percent of the times the consumer wins. So why not? Take your chance In the process you will learn a bit of law as well!

Good discussion...enjoyed it. Resting my case here

Coming to seat belts, it is requirement even for a lay man and is mandated by law. So if they are not belted - chances are slim. In this case, I understand they had worn the belts.

Originally Posted by Rohan265

Glad to know that you and your friends are safe. I have a question though...how did you remember the sequence of events in the crash?! Assuming a speed of 80 kmph, all the sequences you mentioned would take about a couple of seconds. Yet you remember everything in detail. I am amazed.

[jithin23]

Originally Posted by fiat_tarun

That is a horrific crash and I am glad you all came out safely. Having seen Airbag ECU development from up close, unfortunately very few cars in the non-luxury segment have rollover sensing capability in the Airbag ECU.

With your description of the accident, I'm trying to think if ESP would have played a role in preventing the rollover, as it sounds like a typical double lane change kind of a scenario at relatively high speed.

The Old gen EcoSport didn't have ESP in any variant. What I'm curious about is despite the rollovers and being t boned, the side airbags haven't been deployed.

The OP is lucky to have survived the crash

[Lobogris]

Originally Posted by Rohan265

Interesting information. So, the court just throws out technical engineering details presented as evidence? What would the courts do if information is presented that the basic function of the side airbag is to save occupants from side collisions and not rollovers?
Also, I am curious to know..how will the courts react if information is presented that the occupants were not belted, a primary requisite for airbags to be effective?

Not at all. The courts are heavily influenced by technical documents and the testimony of experts in such matters. Even if someone got a consumer court verdict in their favour, it is very likely to be overturned on review by higher courts.

[fiat_tarun]

Originally Posted by jithin23

The Old gen EcoSport didn't have ESP in any variant. What I'm curious about is despite the rollovers and being t boned, the side airbags haven't been deployed.

The OP is lucky to have survived the crash

That's right. I was thinking about the accident from the description provided and it sounded like something ESP could have saved if it was there. That's why we need ESP to be made a mandatory fitment in all cars.

In this accident, there was no T-Bone impact at all, only rollover and hence the side airbags didn't deploy as the necessary rollover detection sensors are not available.

[sagarpadaki]

I think the side airbag deploying/not deploying is moot in the scenario presented. Even if the side airbags were deployed during the first rollover, they would have been deflated in matter of seconds , that's how airbag's are designed. They have holes in them to deflate after inflation .No way they would have remained inflated for all 8 rollovers of the car.

Be happy that the occupants are alive and kicking even after 8 rollovers. The car has protected the occupants and that's what matters at the end of the day, whether airbags were deployed or not. Would one be satisfied if the airbag deployed but some of the occupants died or suffered severe injuries?