Airbag

[Guest bigrabdl]

Ok ,

It seems like I crash tested my own Galaxy , ( If you want something done , do it yourself . )

I am really glad I was in the Galaxy as the VW Polo I hit is a total loss .

Good thing was no one was really hurt .

Anyway back to the question at hand , does anyone know what kind of speeds the airbag should deploy , as this was total head on for my car but side on for the VW Polo and none of my airbags worked .I was doing between 25 - 30 mph . Is this normal .

[seatkid]

For the front airbags, I think it needs to be > 5 mph and the deceleration (from the sensor) has to exceed a certain threshold for a minimum time - probably something like >5g for > 50mS (its more complex than that though) inline with the cabin (side impacts dont trigger front bags). So if the Polo just bounced out the way you might not have exceeded the deceleration criterea.

 

Or they may be faulty,

 

BTW in the Skoda manual it is a service item to have airbags replaced every seven years!!

[Guest nimrod]

I dont think there is a set speed but a predermined rate of deacceleration! there are sensors involved in operation of the airbags they have to reach the preset limit before the airbags go bang!

[seatkid]

There is a minimum speed, but its low. Basically to stop knocking the acceleration sensor in the garage etc. setting them off.

[Ivor_E_Tower]

From memory (when I used to work for a crash sensor company) 8g for 60 milliseconds is the minimum level at which an airbag will be triggered (not that we supplied the crash sensor for the Galaxy though).

[HJT]

Watching Fifth Gear a couple of weeks ago, they crashed 2 Renault Espaces into each other at 35mph (70 mph impact). One was a 10 year old one and one was a new one. The new Espace airbags didn't go off as the system had decided it wasn't a severe enough impact and the crash test dummy showed this was correct. Unfortunately the driver of the 10 year old version wouldn't have survived despite the airbags going off. It was the rigidity of the new version that prevented it's occupants from being hurt but caused the horrendous damage in the older, softer one.

It was quite scary to watch when you think that most people reach 35 mph and above everyday at some point.

 

Howard

[seatkid]

Nimrod might be right about no speed input

Ford TIS..

It contains two sensors, a crash sensor and a safing sensor. The crash sensor produces a signal during both acceleration and deceleration. The safing sensor detects only deceleration. These two sensors are connected in series and if they both sense a deceleration in excess of a predetermined limit, they will fire the air bag module(s).

[Guest bigrabdl]

Thanks for the input folks , on reviewing the accident I was told that I was safe as my Galaxy made sure there was nothing in front of me because of the way it bounced the polo . Hence nothing to stop me once the polo was out of the way except my brakes , and this is why my airbags didnt inflate . I must say again I now have even more confidence in the big Gal when it comes to safety .

[ridway]

A colleague of mine had a head on with a Galaxy in Lincs when driving to work; he was in a Mondeo. Needless to say apart from shock he was in a wheel chair for 3 month with broken legs, ankles and smashed ribs. Very serious but luckily fully recovered. The Galaxy was a left hand drive driven by a British chap thats works in Belgium. He had just left home to return to the ferry port and was on the wrong side of the road during a forgetful momment early in the morning. The collision speed was calculated at 47 mph. Both cars were close to the national 60 limit on realisation of the situation. This was calculated from the mondeo's tyre marks Every air bag went off in both cars and both cars were scrapped. The Galaxy driver suffered from severe shock and a bruised knee.

 

I suppose a lot depends on what you hit and Newton's laws of motion.

[MrT]

I suppose a lot depends on what you hit and Newton's laws of motion.

No doubt then the government will set up a committee to review Netwon's laws of motion then rewrite them to make driving safer.