I purchased my 2012 Prius c Model 2 on March 7th 2012. On February 19th 2014 I was involved in a head on collision with a midsized Mazda 4dr. Both cars traveling between 25 - 30 mph. When the collision happened my steering wheel, floor and side window airbags deployed successfully. But, unfortunately I had to be hospitalized for two days. The issue at hand was that I was hit so hard in my chest by the airbag that it caused a bruising to my heart which raised an enzyme level to an alarming level which could have caused a heart attack. Luckily the readings came back down to normal and I was released. My reason for posting is to give you peace of mind in knowing that the Prius c protected me in this serious accident. On March 7th, I received a check for the totaled car. The same day I went out and bought a 2014 Prius c Model 2 in the same color, this exactly 2 years later. By buying the exact same car it strangely has made me forget about the accident. I have driven the car for about a week and noticed that the 2014 drove exactly the same as the 2012. There was no difference in the handling, driving, fit and finish. This is a testament to the quality of the 2012 car and its construction that the car drove like a new car, till the accident. Hope my story gives you some confidence that you made a wise choice. Has anyone else been involved in an accident in your Prius c?
WOW!! I'm glad you are OK!! At first I thought you were writing to say the car is totally dangerous in an accident!! How far back is your seat? I'm wondering if a shorter person could be hurt even worse by the force of the airbag.....? I know they have to come out fast, but it's not much good if it kills you!
Air bag protection will harm you much less then driving a car without airbags in the same accident, it was more then likely the seatbelt that did the bruising. Glad you came out safely and congrats on the new C. Happy safe motoring,
In fact the inflating airbag has the same affecth as being hit in the chest and face with a fist. I've also been in an accident where airbags deployed at about 30 mph when a truck pulled in front of me . my glasses were broken, I had bruises on my face and chest and a concussion. In my case while my car stopped quickly it wasn't as quickly as a head on would involve so yours was likely more severe. however, while you may have been smacked hard by the airbag you would have been worse hit by the steering wheel, dash, and windshield. In my days at EMS I;ve seen that result and it wasn't pretty, nor survived. I kinda suspect your 'near heart attack' was in fact just that. You were frigthened enough to have a heart attack regardless of the accident. Having the crap scared out of you in an accident is not mere figment of imagination. Thank your air bag and your Prius for survival. Cheers. BTW seat belts have enough 'give' that their biggest use is keeping occupants in front of the airbags and from the windshield. Contact with the windshield is most often fatal even where the WS is supoed to 'pop out'.
Glad you are ok! Vehicles can be replaced, cool that you ended up with a newer model ans that they feel the same. Take care.
Glad you are OK Just to check if you had set yourself at a reasonable distance from the steering wheel ie at least a forearm's distance?
Glad you're alright! I remember a similar feeling though on the bottom of my rib cage, which could've just been the seat belt tugging tight. I'm glad you were able to get the newer car.
Glad to hear you're doing well Johnny D. I'm happy you posted this because it brings up something that a lot of people don't know, or which they don't care to know. Safety devices like airbags and seatbelts can save your life, however they can still hurt you in the process. Generally it's a good trade off...... being alive and hurt vs. being dead or severely disabled. An important take away from this is not only to use the safety devices, but to use them properly. So if you're a short person make sure to telescope the steering wheel in to keep the airbag a safe(r) distance from your chest. Make sure the seatbelt crosses over your clavicle, and goes across your hips vs. across your belly. Also make sure the headrest strikes the back of your skull and not your neck. Also it's suggested you drive at 8 and 4 (vs. 10 and 2) because that way if an airbag were to come out it would knock your arms down vs. into your face. Sadly injuries like yours are fairly common even when all the devices are used properly. It sounds like you were the recipient of a cardiac contusion, basically you obtained via physical injury what happens to a person having a heart attack caused by a blocked artery. The enzyme you mentioned was likely Troponin and is a cardiac marker released by your heart when it's under extreme stress.
Is seems most Prius C's are involved in front end accidents. Rear ending is the most common, I wonder why that is? Is this the most common accident for all cars?
We hit a very large deer going 60 mph with our 6-month-old Prius C. It didn't deploy the airbags because it hit a bit too high on the hood but it did enough damage to shut down the car. There was a message that said "pull the car to a safe location and turn it off". I called the ToyotaCare number and they were fabulous! The car received $9200 in damages but it crumpled exactly as it is designed to do and we didn't have as much as a black & blue mark. Excellent body and engine work had us back on the road in a month. As a result of the accident (and with the help of posts like yours) I feel very safe in my Prius.
Do you know how far your chest should be from the steering wheel, in case of a front end accident? I was wondering about that today when I was adjusting my steering wheel.
