Big Question about Car Air Bags

[Gazzer]

Here's the big question:-

Have a crash in your car while driving and bang all the airbags go off.

Now lets say you are sitting in your car waiting for some one with the ignition off and the doors locked for security and another car slams into you......

DO THE AIRBAGS STILL GO OFF.............?

[jkoppee]

the cars airbags sensors are not tied to the ignition and are powered seperately so they should go off in this case.

[MaChiBLue]

the airbags should go off. It also depends on where you're hit and how hard. The car's airbag sensors will not deploy the airbags for a minor rear end collision, but a major front end collision, of course they will deploy.

[Rapid Dr3am]

Yes they do go off, they also go off if you get frustrated and punch the wheel.

[Homer]

Originally Posted by Gazzer

DO THE AIRBAGS STILL GO OFF.............?

The answer is "it depends".

Modern airbag systems use a number of sensors and should only deploy the required airbags.

This is why you'll often see cars involved in shunts where the bags don't go off.

Some older systems could be tricked quite easily though.

[cyaPalmOS]

Depends on how you're hit, where you're hit... I had a big conversation with Honda/Acura after a crash in which my air bags did not deploy. There are a ton of sensors up front that measure speed of the vehicle, impact, direction of impact (direct head on, angled to the side...) and changes in speed (if you slow down REAL suddenly). They won't deploy unless absolutely necessary. Like jkoppee said too, they run under their own power so if the car is off and you get hit just right, they'll pop.

In my case I hit a deer head on at over 70mph. My bumper crumpled into the radiator, bent the hood and threw one of the quarter panels back so we couldn't open the passenger door yet the air bags didn't deploy. Honda/Acura said the air bags didn't deploy because the speed of the car didn't change dramatically as I just pushed the deer. So even though the impact was pretty bad, I didn't get tossed forward or anything cause the momentum and weight of the car just pushed the deer.

Hope that helps...

[gavinguinness]

I recently learned through my job, that newer cars have very advanced systems indeed. As some of you have said, they often now have their own seperate power suypply, even individual capacitors and can and do go off even when the main battery is disconnected.

Aditianally, I learned that a deployed airbag is also not dead. Designed for motorway pile-ups, the airbag system will initially deploy the front airbags if you colide with a vehicle. Then, if someone goes into the back of you, the front airbags can re-inflate again!

We had a huge lecture on this as it affects how and where we can cut a car, without endangering ourselves or the passengers. It's a really dangerous area these days as airbags can be everywhere, and also seatbelt tensioners with pyrotechnics inside!

But Gazzer, to summarise, it depends on the age and model of your car, but yes there is definately a chance of the airbag going off.

[JonnyW]

Yes they do go off, they also go off if you get frustrated and punch the wheel.

I heard that doesn't work, because the sensors to set them off aren't in the steering wheel?

[gavinguinness]

I just wound't risk it. We've had live demonsrtations of them going off. Front airbags in particular can cause nasty injury if you are basically not in the position you should be. They are amazingly powerful and extremely noisy. Not to mention the mess they make!

[FaZy_UK]

Yeah I used to fit windscreens... When an front airbag goes off it uses the front screen as a solid base, more often than not, the screen is cracked due to their impact