[Rtech]

according to my friend,it burst like a balloon with a pin.

Once again, and no offence to your friend, but if he was too drunk to drive his car on the road, I would really doubt his clarity of thought after going through an accident.

[BaCkSeAtDrIVeR]

But rtech, the burst (like a balloon with a pin through it) airbag would be there for others to see after the accident too??

[Rtech]

Yup. It would be clear if it did happen. But, unless there are photographs to back that up, or the insurance report noted that, I'd highly doubt it. I stand by my thinking that the driver was not in his senses at that time, and is also not aware of how an airbag operates.

[hellspawn]

would you guys be taking a different stand if the driver wasnt drunk.
Im not defending him,yes its better he rammed into a pole rather than mowed down people.
but we have been friends for a long time,i know he wouldnt lie to me.and i was the only one who he shared this info with.yes he could have been too drunk to figure out.
all im trying to do is figure out what else could have gone wrong.for a moment ,presume that he was sober and this incident happened.
if you guys think,there is no use dragging this thread and discussions anymore...so be it.
thanks guys.

[anupmathur]

No hellspawn the stand would not necessarily have been very different if the driver was sober. The difference would have been that we would have got a lot more 'reliable' first hand information on which to base our debate/opinions.
Why are you so convinced that 'something went wrong' with the airbag deployment? Do you seriously believe your friend would have escaped unhurt? Do read up about the injuries that people have suffered with airbags (including infant fatalities!).
Unfortunately this is where the 'state of the art' is at the moment. Take it or leave it. Ironically, most of us here cannot 'afford' it yet.

[hellspawn]

Originally Posted by anupmathur

Why are you so convinced that 'something went wrong' with the airbag deployment?

because both his hands are burnt,wrapped in cotton gauge and cannot use his hands for at least 2 weeks according to the doctor.
if thats the normal after effect of an airbag deployment, then

And though most of us still keep talking about safety features in a car and why most manufacturers don't offer them,i think we need to be more educated before we get those features..
most of the people buy cars with airbags and abs,and don't even know how they work.
even salesmen at the car dealerships don't make it a point to explain the features in detail.they explain them as an additional feature to help add more vfm to overall package of the car but don't stress enough on the technical working etc.
for eg.the salesman selling a swift zxi will tell the customer that the swift has airbags and the getz doesn't.the customer thinks,oh! I'm getting an extra accessory=more vfm.thats it.
the salesman wouldn't tell the customer how it deploys,what position to hold the steering wheel in(if ur driving an airbag equipped car),at what angle you should recline the seat so that the airbag is the most effective,what to do after the airbag has deployed.

Another question that is going through my head is:
if you have an accident,the airbag deploys but the car isnt damaged too much and can be driven back to your place or the workshop.
1.how do you remove the deflated airbag from the steering wheel?
2.does the steering wheel still work, supposing the accident wasn't big enough to cause the steering to collapse?

[Rtech]

1.how do you remove the deflated airbag from the steering wheel?

Well, at that time, you don't remove it. You can simply fold it up so that it does not interfere and drive away if you and the car can.

2.does the steering wheel still work, supposing the accident wasn't big enough to cause the steering to collapse?

Yes, if the impact wasn't bad enough to immobilise the car, you can still drive it. THough the newer, higher end cars may have some complications on this.

[rahul_intlad]

Nowadays airbag sensors have come a long way from what they where earlier and things like a pothole causing airbag deployment theoretically atleast is very unlikely,also have read that even speed is calculated for deployment and a relatively minor crash should not trigger airbag deployment.But still things could go very wrong with the sensors.

In extreme cases Airbags can kill as well but the benefits of airbags are far greater than the negatives and in most cases airbags are lifesavers[ofcourse provided seatbelts are used as well].

The seat in the upright position seems to be the best position for the drivers in case of airbags deployment and hence high end cars like the Mercedes S- class adjust the seat to such a position before an airbag deployment.Even the steering wheel position plays a role.And yes it is important to keep the dashboard free of stuff.And a cigarette in your hand while an airbag is deployed is very dangerous as well.Children should not be seated in the front,and in case of side airbags you are adviced not to lean out from the windows as well.

Cars with airbags come with a detailed warning list both on the manual as well as the sunvisors.

according to my friend,it burst like a balloon with a pin.

Airbags are supposed to burst like that,and airbags may cause burns second or even third degree.

[BaCkSeAtDrIVeR]

Speaking of speed sensors and safety systems - here is what is probably a dumb question.

The other day, my driver was driving pretty roughly and my seat belts were sort of tightening ( I was on the back seat) when the vehicle was braking very hard. But this was not happening always. I realise that this tightening is by design.

Can somebody please explain what is happening? The vehicle is a WagonR - the new type with indicators on top of the head light.

I have not feel the tightening on the front seat, probably because I was leaning back on the seat (adjustable back leaning a bit back), or probably because I do not allow the vehicle to be handled so roughly usually. But this occasion was odd - the traffic was real bad.

Questions - (1) What causes the seat belts to tighten when the vehicle brakes hard?
(2) Why is this not happening always? (I grant that no two braking situations are identical, but ...)

[anupmathur]

You probably felt the 'inertia' thing at work. Try an experiment: buckle up and then with as much speed as you can muster, lunge/lean forward. The belt will not allow it; it will 'lock'. You were feeling the effects of the onset of a seatbelt getting ready for action! That is how they are designed.
Does this seem to be it?

[rahul_intlad]

The other day, my driver was driving pretty roughly and my seat belts were sort of tightening...

I am just guessing you are referring to the locking action of the seat-belt Pretensioners,

Most modern seatbelt assemblies use three-point anchoring systems in conjunction with a pretensioner, which locks the belt in place during a crash event.

Mechanical pretensioners use an inertial wheel with a pendulum device that moves under the rapid deceleration of the crash to lock the belt into place. Such mechanisms can often be detected by giving a sudden tug on the belt. A mechanical pretensioner will automatically lock the belt into place, with the intent of limiting occupant travel in the event of a crash.

Source:
Seatbelt Pretensioner

[bblost]

BaCkSeAtDrIVeR >> my seat belts were sort of tightening ( I was on the back seat)

Great man, you were on the rear seat with your seat belts on.
So happy to read that.

Buckle UP. It saves lives.

[cypher]

Originally Posted by Rehaan

Maybe next weekend he should have a smoke at a petrol pump and then try to claim compensation from BP for 1st degree burns.
R

I know that this thread is not meant to be funny, but Rehaan, that comment was seriously .

[im_srini]

Hi, my $0.02... There's a video (FifthGear I think) on YouTube, where they show the kinds of tests manufacturers conduct to ensure that air-bags deploy only under the right circumstances. It's incredible how much thought has gone into the design of modern air-bags, & the tests they come up with to ensure their safety. I'm not sure if Honda India are less scrupulous here than they are in other parts of the world, but it would be wrong for us to assume so.

And hellspawn, one more thing, 60Kmph CAN cause serious injury. I should know, I fell asleep at the wheel & crashed into an oncoming car, at a little more than 60 Kmph. I wasn't wearing my seat-belt, & my head hit the wheel so hard that I bent it completely ! Knocked several of my teeth off, fractured my jaw, & my knees were scrunched up against the dash pretty badly - needed tons of stitches ! The car, an M800, needed a lakh (& some) in repairs, & was eventually written off. It's crumple zones were probably what saved my life... It's not the speed, but the deceleration that does you in, & anybody who's run head-first into a wall would vouch for that !

[sanchits]

Originally Posted by akash_m

Though slightly off topic, was just curious to know what happens to the Airbags once they inflate? I mean does the car need to go to workshop to get them working again. Also, I suppose considerable amount of facia/ part of steerring wheel is damaged once the airbags are deployed.

If so, what is the cost involved..?

once the airbags deploy, they cant be put back in or repaired. new module and airbags are installed and in india they cost a lot as they are imported. i have a swift zxi, and met with a head on accident and both the airbags were deployed. the airbags costed me around 60,000.