Prius totalled

Not if you are okay! Airbags are extremely dangerous and can cause harm. Typically, then can save your life if the seat belt isn't good enough. Since you are writing to us, I suppose you are okay, so no, be glad the bag didn't go off.

P.S. I doubt you really hit him at 40. You probably slammed the brakes and actually hit at a much slower speed.

Nate

 

lets see pics of your car. if it is not centered the tha air bags wont go off

lets see pics of your car. if it is not centered the tha air bags wont go off

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(mikep01 @ Dec 9 2006, 02:35 AM) [snapback]359651[/snapback]</div>

Thats not true, it depends on the decelerational force, take a look at offset crash tests, not centered and the airbags deploy.

 

Thank goodness the days of airbags deploying (when not needed) and always at the same rate (220 MPH) are over.

Sensors & Behavior have become far more fitting to the situation at hand, aware of the circumstances rather than a one-size-fits-all approach.

If the airbags did not deploy and you didn't sustain any serious injury, great! Consider that unnecessary use will still result in the usual minor rubs & burns from the airbag itself, not the accident.

 

sorry about your accident, and i'm glad to see you're well enough to write to us.

that said, i never fail to be amused when i read the fairly common complaint of "my airbag didn't go off!"

airbags are dangerous things, they can really hurt you. they are designed to not go off unless they are truly needed. the risk:benefit ratio has to be favorable for the vehicle occupant.

there would be much more to complain about if the airbags went off in all situations: lots and lots of unnecessary injuries, a higher likelihood of a car being totaled in an otherwise rather simple damage situation, and the associated increased insurance premiums across the board. airbags are not cheap and there are a few other related components that need to be replaced every time the airbags go off. plus most places charge quite a bit for labor to replace them because of the huge danger to the technician and the fact that many won't touch one with a 10 foot pole.

since you are well enough to write to us, you probably didn't need that airbag. best wishes healing up from any injuries you have have sustained and in sorting out the insurance mess.

 

I've been slapped by an angry airbag before.

Glad to see you are ok enough to be up and typing. Sorry to hear about the car though.

 

I have the very bad habit of driving the car as I was taught, with hands on the wheel at 10 o'clock and 2'oclock, or, worse, with one hand on the wheel at 12 o'clock. An apparently well-informed friend told me that a) they teach kids to hold the wheel at the bottom now (4 and 8 o'clock), and B) that I will definitely break one or both arms and/or my face if I have the steering-wheel-mounted airbag go off while holding the wheel in my old-fashioned way. I can't believe I'm the only guy who does this. And, apparently, the National Highway Transportation Safety Administration has not taken a position on this.

So, anybody know of any actual data on this, meaning, broken arms during airbag deployments, with injury attributed to using the traditional 10-2 position for steering? Or is it just one of those things that seems plausible but doesn't work that way in practice?

 

If the air bag did not deploy and you were not injured, then it should not have deployed and the system performed properly. I hope this was the case. Your post does not say.

 

Here's something I was taught at a Volvo-sponsored driving class in 1998.

Many people make turns using an underhand grip at the top of the wheel to turn it. Doing so almost guarantees severe injury should the airbag deploy during the turn. Because there would be no time to release your underhand grip and move your arm, the airbag can shatter your hand, wrist, and forearm.

Since then I have learned to never use an underhand grip in turns. Every little bit helps.