Not that I’m wishing bad luck on anyone. . . the thing is, I went on a long (11 hours) road trip during spring break to see my brother, and I really started thinking about how an airbag works. Mine (I drive a '98 Saturn SL2)has this plastic thing labled “AIRBAG” on the dash and steering wheel, and if it were to go off, wouldn’t that plastic cover hit me in the face? Where does it go?
“I need the biggest seed bell you have. . . no, that’s too big.”–Hans Moleman
The soft vinyl covers are perforated on the inside either in a “U” or “H” pattern. They are designed to split open to release the airbag, but remain attatched to the dash or wheel. The harder plastic ones are tethered to the dash or wheel and are designed to be pushed off and to the side by the airbag.
Even if the cover were to hit you in the face though, isn’t it better than the windsheild?
“Even if the cover were to hit you in the face though, isn’t it better than the windsheild?”
not in the case of the toronto professor that was killed last week by an airbag. merely tapped another car to set it off.
what is essential is invisible to the eye -the fox
Maybe his pointy head punctured the airbag and deprived him of the use thereof.
:
My husband researches car accidents. Here’s what he says:
On the steering wheel, the soft plastic splits in half. The airbag comes out through the “hole.” The plastic would be nowhere near your face.
On the passenger side, sometimes it works as above (the plastic splits). In other cases, the plastic (also soft) will fly up, and sometimes hit the windshield.
In any case, the plastic would never hit your face. But the bag (cloth) would probably hit your face.
He says the airbag would only cause damage to very short (5’2" or less) people. And, not to be preachy (but as long as we’re on the subject), it is always best to wear the seatbelt, no matter what anecdotal evidence people give to try to prove otherwise.
I never hate myself in the morning. I sleep till noon.
–Sig line courtesy of Wally 
If you wear a seatbelt, an airbag offers very little additional protection.
Airbags are dangerous devices. It is has been documented that they have killed. But they have NEVER been proved to save any lives.
If a person is in an accident and was not killed by a deployed air bag, how can you tell he/she would have died? It cannot be proven that anyone would have been killed unless they can travel in the future or something, come back and say this guy/gal drove the same car without an airbag and was killed.
Airbags were designed to replace seat belts because idiots were not wearing them. After airbags came into being it was discovered that airbags would kill anyone unbelted flying into the airbag. So now they say, you have to wear the seat belt. But if you did, why need the airbag. Because of lobbyists for airbag companies. The airbag companies make hundreds of millions of dollars and consumers are dying of airbag deaths.
AIRBAGS ONLY KILL. THEY HAVE NEVER BEEN PROVEN TO SAVE LIVES. FUCK AIRBAGS.
That is true. However, if I have to (God forbid) be in a horrible collision, I’ll take every little bit of help I can get. While airbags alone (or even with the seatbelt) won’t prevent death, they will help avoid possibly serious injury.
I don’t know about you guys, but the plastic in my vehicle sure as hell isn’t soft. And if it were to split in half, couldn’t a sharp edge burst your airbag, defeating the whole purpose of it being there?
Questioner of all things human, Lystra.
The way Mr. Jeannie explains it, the plastic is soft. There is metal behind it. The metal does not move when the airbag opens.
Well, I know that not having an air bag sucks. As one of the few un/fortunate people to drive an older model car, I had a 73 plymouth satelite, lap belts only.
Someone got in an small argument with his wife, and managed to run a red light, as i slid into him. My face managed to go through the wind sheild. I also sorta put my hand through the otherside of the windsheild.
Moral of the story is, don’t get out of the car, and ask if everyone in the other car is ok if your shin’s are bleeding and your face is too
Ogre…
If the worlds a stage, I want to operate the trap door.
Airbags only work if the front window is properly installed. They require it to push against. Lots of people get windows put in by people who don’t use the right preparation.
I don’t like airbags. But I wonder about those side airbags.
As to the OP, I don’t think the plastic is too much of a concern. It’s pretty soft and when you’re in an accident it’s still better than hitting the steering wheel.
Major Feelgud sez:
Lobbyists for airbag companies? Yeah those airbag companies have their tentacles in every part of the gov’t. They’re secretly taking it over as we speak.
: :points at Major Feelgud and mocks him vigourously::
Uuuuggh. I hate smilies.
That was supposed to read “Points at…”
By this logic, should we stop wearing our seatbelts? After all, I can’t imagine how a study would work which proves beyond doubt that person A is alive because he wore his seatbelt, whereas person B is unfortunately dead because he did not. Thank you for taking part in our study, pick up your cheques on the way out.
Boy, this could turn into a great debate real quick.
I wear my seatbelt because it’s the law. Period. While I am quite sure that there are plenty of instances where people have been killed while not wearing seatbelts, I’ve known quite a few who would have been killed or seriously injured if they’d have been strapped into their seats.
My sister was broadsided in an intersection by a woman who ran a red light. The woman was driving a big ol’ Lincoln Continental, my sister was in my little mustang (may she [the car] rest in peace). The impact was dead center, straight on into the driver’s door and was so hard that it threw her across the passenger seat and out the other door. The driver’s door ended up in the middle of the driver’s seat and the steering column was bent completely facing the passenger side and shoved into the middle of the car.
She walked away with nothing more than a few bruises on her left hip and some tiny shards of glass in her middle finger. Had she been trapped in her seat, she would have either been crushed to death or at the very least have sustained some very serious injuries.
My car was totalled, the Lincoln wasn’t even scratched (not even a broken headlight).
Plastic piece or not, I’d take front and side impact airbags over strapping me to my car any day. (Now if I could only afford to buy a new car that had them. :()
“How wonderful it is that nobody need wait a single moment before starting to improve the world.” - Anne Frank
Boy, Shayna, you were right about the GD part of your post. I can feel it happening. And, of course, I’m here to dispute what you just said.
As stated above, my husband works in a job that allows him to see first hand what happens when people do not wear seat belts. According to him, it isn’t pretty. It does happen that not having a seatbelt is better than having it on. But it is extremely rare. Without statistics in front of him, he says that maybe one percent or less of accidents are as you describe them, Shayna. Plus, airbags DO NOT WORK properly if you do not wear the seatbelt. Airbags alone do not save lives.
If anyone wants to argue using anecdotal evidence, let me know. I can have hubby plop down here and tell you some of the saddest stories you’ll ever hear.
In fact, last August, a former classmate of his died in an accident. He was driving one of those SUVs. He had the windows down. He was not wearing a seat belt. He was sober. He swerved on the expressway to avoid another vehicle. He turned the wheel too hard. The SUV flipped over. He flew out the passenger side window. He got crushed by the car. He was 25 years old.
Shayna, I am glad that your sister is alright. She was very lucky. But please don’t stop using a seat belt based on what happened to her. Her situation was extremely rare. Your odds of surviving are much higher when you wear the belt.
BTW, he gave me their website address, but I can’t get it to work right now. When I’m able to get through and make sure it works, I’ll post it for anyone who’s interested.
Shoulder belts, yes, lap ones, no. Lap belts alone are NOT recommended anymore.
Most of the new cars [88+] are protected by pathetic plastic bumpers. Give me a metal bumper on a truck any day.
My two bits:
I have never been in a major accident. ( Only a fender bender.)
My father in law, on the other hand, is the Bermuda Triangle of smash ups. None of the accidents have been his fault. He never had any accidents until May of 1991.
May 1991. T-boned by a Mustang while riding his motorcycle. Left him paralyzed for life. Totaled the Mustang and the BWM K-1 he was riding.
Summer 1994. Driver’s side front quarter panel nailed on his van by a guy in a lincoln running a very late red light. Spun the Ford Econoline van completely around and it nearly flipped. Totaled the Lincoln.(That driver walked away without a scratch because of his airbag and seat belt.) Van survived
(inconvienced by it being in the shop for 12 weeks due to incompetant baboons working on it.) He suffered cracked ribs and a concussion. Wore a seat belt.
Summer 1997. Rear ended while stopped in traffic. Same van. He was wearing a seat belt. Van ok, except for dents. Totalled the other guys car.
Fall 1999. Rear ended while stopped in traffic. Same frickin’ intersection. He and van ok. Totalled the other guys car.
Lesson: Always wear your seat belt. Drive a Ford Econoline Van. Don’t drive with my father in law.
( I now own that same van. You can not tell it has been in three accidents. I’m thinking of putting spikes on the front and back bumpers.)
That what does not kill me, postpones the inevitable.
Konrad and Android209 are stupid. I’m in the medical field. I’ve actually seen these things I’m talking about.
People die with seatbelts because when the car stops they don’t and they fly into the windshield or steering wheel crushing their chest or face. If you have a seat belt, you are prevented from hitting either or flying out of the window because you are secured.
The government thought that since idiots don’t wear seatbelts let’s invent something to stop them from flying into the dash. So airbags were invented.
But they found that if the person was unsecured the person still flew into the dash, however the airbag exploding increased the speed and energy at which their chest or face impacted the airbag thus inflicting more injuries. Therefore you must wear a seatbelt if your car has an airbag. So actually airbags are not needed. And if you are unbelted an airbag will KILL you as evidenced many times, THIS IS FACT, you morons.
Android209. If you don’t believe that airbag companies are paying lobbyists big money you must be a moron indeed. AIRBAGS KILL. There is NO proof that any airbag has saved any lives.