[DriverR]

In any case, you friend has a very weak case in going to Honda. The fact that he was driving drunk will ensure that the matter is quickly ignored. For all those who drive drunk, please note that the Law is finally becoming a bit strict on drunk driving. The Pereira verdict makes it clear that the courts will come down on rash drunk driving.

[artofzen]

I dont think nobody has explained the actual point in contention here.Please guys who know the stuff clarify the main issue.Airbag can and will inflate even if the guy who is not drunk rams the car into a pole.I do not think that Honda cars are equipped with airbags that burn ONLY those people who are drunk.

We shouldnt be debating whether airbags are needed.They are.Period.But nobody should be allowed to get away with ill equipped safety system,even if it is for one car,one batch or the whole lot.It can happen to any of us when we are driving sober and with kids in the passenger seat.

All this is assuming that Hellspawns friends burns are actually 2nd degree.I was pulled into this thread because of the term 2nd degree burns,I was once unfortunate to witness something close.

[Rtech]

in m y friends case,after inflating completely,it burst rather than providing cushioning and then slowly deflating.

Reading that statement, frankly, I think hellspawns friend does not understand how an airbag works in the first place, hence he mistakingly thinks that the bag "burst" when it was simply performing the function it was designed to do.

What he has said is exactly how an airbag works. Yes, it does "burst" in a blink of an eye (faster actually), yes there is a loud noise when it happens, similar to a cracker going off. And yes, it does deflate immediately as the bag has vents that open to let the gas escape so as to prevent the passengers from suffocating. Everything you mention shows that the airbag performed as it should.

I suggest hellspawn try and educate his friend and his family. I have a feeling they think the airbag is supposed to stay inflated like they show is silly movies.

Originally Posted by rr_zen

I have heard this a lot of times before but would like to know more on the facts behind it. I understand that there are a lot of things that come into play for an airbag to get deployed. However, what are the major facts that contribute to the exorbitant cost of replacing one ? Can the experts throw more light on this one ?

I had posted this in detail on another thread. The extent of replacements would vary from car to car depending on the design of the dashboard etc. The basic elements that need to be changed are the airbags themselves (around 40K each) seatbelts, if they had pre-tensioners fitted, and the airbag module. On some cars, part of, or the full dashboard may need to be changed if the passenger side bag design is such that it tears the dash when it deploys. So those additional costs are added in as well.

And to top it off, indian insurance companies pay only 50% of all these parts as they are all made of something other than metal.

[benbsb29]

Originally Posted by Rtech

And to top it off, indian insurance companies pay only 50% of all these parts as they are all made of something other than metal.

Imagine if they were made of metal !! 100% or so from insurance, and a flat face like Tom from Tom and Jerry !!

Sorry guys, thought of introducing some poor humor into the thread, thats all.

[narayan]

Originally Posted by Rtech

What he has said is exactly how an airbag works. Yes, it does "burst" in a blink of an eye (faster actually), yes there is a loud noise when it happens, similar to a cracker going off. And yes, it does deflate immediately as the bag has vents that open to let the gas escape so as to prevent the passengers from suffocating. Everything you mention shows that the airbag performed as it should.

.

Rtech - could u explain that bursting bit.... if its bursting - it would defenetly deflate fast , right ? so what are the vents additionally for ?....

or is it made in such a way that it bursts from the sides or rear ( towards the steering wheel ) rather than bursting in the front ( towards the driver ) ??

[Rtech]

Bursting is the wrong word to use here. i just used it above as it as it was what hellspawns friend was saying. Hence, I put it in inverted comma's.

The bag simply inflates at an extremely rapid pace and deflates equally fast, hence to someone who does not know about their workings, it would seem like the bag has burst. Hope I'm making myself clear.

[anupmathur]

Could this be it:?
Bad english and you would say the airbag 'burst'.
Correct english and you would say it 'deployed'.

[narayan]

Originally Posted by Rtech

Bursting is the wrong word to use here. i just used it above as it as it was what hellspawns friend was saying. Hence, I put it in inverted comma's.

The bag simply inflates at an extremely rapid pace and deflates equally fast, hence to someone who does not know about their workings, it would seem like the bag has burst. Hope I'm making myself clear.

ok just one more question...! does it deflate from the front or the rear ( no pun intended here )

[csentil]

Now, who should I believe: a person who was drunk, rams into a pole, is shocked by the accident, airbag gets deployed with a bang which would have further disoriented the person and then the airbags deflate which he thinks got burst???

Now would I believe a person who's just been through all this saying that the airbag is burst, when all the evidence says the airbag will deflate immediately after deployment?

Take your pick.

[doomsday]

Originally Posted by Rtech

Bursting is the wrong word to use here. i just used it above as it as it was what hellspawns friend was saying. Hence, I put it in inverted comma's.

The bag simply inflates at an extremely rapid pace and deflates equally fast, hence to someone who does not know about their workings, it would seem like the bag has burst. Hope I'm making myself clear.

I would second Rtech's opinion. Since, the driver was DUI, we cannot gauge if several basic parameters of road driving were being fulfilled at the time of the accident. Eg: hand positioning on the steering wheel, Seating posture, seatbelt usage etc. Since airbags are a part of the secondary restraining system, it is expected to work to its full potential only when it is used in conjunction with the Primary Restraint System, i.e. the seatbelts.

Originally Posted by hellspawn

with so many breakthrough's in technology,the airbag deployment system really hasn't progressed too much.
can it not be made better??

Contrary to your statement; the manufacturers are indeed doing research to prevent accidental airbag deployment. Here is a clip from the Volkswagen research center where they are testing cars to check if airbags are deployed inessentialy:

YouTube - Fifth Gear - Airbag misuse Challenge

Originally Posted by hellspawn

Because in this case,the speed at which he hit the pole wasn't high enough to cause any injuries.the crumple zones absorbed sufficient energy to prevent anything happening to the passenger compartment.
was the airbag really needed at that speed???he was driving at around 60kmph.
just thoughts!!!

I'm not trying to sound rude; but is there anyone who can second that your friend was indeed doing only 60 kph at the time of the impact?

[hellspawn]

Originally Posted by artofzen

All this is assuming that Hellspawns friends burns are actually 2nd degree.I was pulled into this thread because of the term 2nd degree burns,I was once unfortunate to witness something close.

yes ,they are 2nd degree burns,as its printed in the doctor's report.

Originally Posted by csentil

Now, who should I believe: a person who was drunk, rams into a pole, is shocked by the accident, airbag gets deployed with a bang which would have further disoriented the person and then the airbags deflate which he thinks got burst???

Now would I believe a person who's just been through all this saying that the airbag is burst, when all the evidence says the airbag will deflate immediately after deployment?

Take your pick.

Originally Posted by doomsday

I'm not trying to sound rude; but is there anyone who can second that your friend was indeed doing only 60 kph at the time of the impact?

unfortunately no.

it is quite possible that he didnt know how the airbag functions.he got disoriented with the bang(car colliding with the pole) and another boom(the airbag deploying).
i have seen the condition of his hands,and trust me its something you wouldnt want to see.i agree with whatever rtech and the other knowledgeable members are stating,but seriously looking at his hands i wouldnt want to buy a car with airbags.
im not discouraging anybody and im not saying that airbags dont save lives,but i know for a fact that something went wrong.

And i really dont know why he bought a crv,bt his dad presumed that a civic was unlucky for him.

[anupmathur]

Collision at 60 kmph with an immovable object can also cause severe whiplash if the head restraints are not in place. Airbag deployment also helps prevent that kind of serious injury. So it is the seatbelt ALONGWITH the head restraint that forms the Primary Restraining System.

A drunk drives into a lamp-post, airbag probably saves him from a bad bad fate and his well-wishers want to litigate regarding the 'correctness' of the airbag deployment because he suffered the minimal 'injuries' associated with this currently state-of-the-art safety system! Even questioning whether the airbag ought to have deployed at all at this 'very reasonable speed' when all physical evidence (damage to the car) shows that the crumple zones had done their job well and that the integrity of the passenger compartment had not been violated!

Many join in to debate whether there might really be a 'case' here! Though, in all fairness, many have also candidly spoken their mind.

The same drunk could also have 'mowed' down many people. God is with him that it was only a lamp-post he drove into. The drunk would still have burnt his hands; BUT...bUt would his dad be suing Honda for a 'badly' designed airbag and 'defective' and 'un-justifiable' deployment?

The less said the better.

Right now, I'd rather concern myself with re-desigining a deployment system that will allow an airbag to 'burst!!" only and only when the integrity of the passenger compartment starts to get violated!! And why the hell, with all the wonderful video imaging technology available today, can't I also incorporate a feature that at deployment the bag will exactly conform to my body shape and to that of the car's dash etc on the other end?! Why must the damn thing cause so much 'damage'?
Give me a couple of days friends ..... I'll offer it to you first before going to Honda.

[BaCkSeAtDrIVeR]

@hellspawn, now the forty peg question is - did the air bag "burst" like a balloon with a "safety pin" in it; or did it "burst" the way a parachute does when the cord is pulled?

Is it possible to get a pic of the fabric?

[rr_zen]

Originally Posted by supremeBaleno

Is this what the 'SRS' in the "SRS airbags" inscribed on the steering wheel (for cars that have airbags) stands for ?

All this while I was thinking that SRS is the name of the company that made airbag systems. I used to wonder why there is only one company making airbags.

You are right S_B. The inscription SRS on the steering wheel and the dashboard (passenger side) stands for "Supplementary Restraint System"

On a lighter vein, if 'SRS' were to be a company, then they would have enjoyed monopoly over airbags througout the world.

[hellspawn]

Originally Posted by BaCkSeAtDrIVeR

@hellspawn, now the forty peg question is - did the air bag "burst" like a balloon with a "safety pin" in it; or did it "burst" the way a parachute does when the cord is pulled?

Is it possible to get a pic of the fabric?

according to my friend,it burst like a balloon with a pin.
cant get a pic because the car has already been repaired and sold off.