Airbags

RAR · 08-23-2011, 08:40 AM

Hello all,

I'm curious. I have done a search and cant find anything relating to my question...

How fast would someone have to be going before hitting something and setting the airbags off?

I ask because I had a crash 2 weeks ago, missus was in the front, 3 kids in the back and fortunately I wasn't going fast (about 30mph) when 4 cyclists pulled straight out in front of me from a side road causing me to swerve thus distracting my attention from the road and I ended up crunching into the back of some poor woman. The airbags didnt deploy although there was a fair bit of front end damage; bonnet, bumper, headlight cluster, radiator and aircon condensor.

How would I know if the airbags even work? Obviously I understand that airbags wont deploy at the first little ding in the supermarket carpark, that would be useless but where abouts do the sensors sit behind the bumper? How fast would one have to be going to set them off?

On a brighter note, I'm picking her up tonight (not the missus, the car) and I cant wait to see the shiney new bits all fitted and looking lovely.

Cheers for reading.

edowen · 08-23-2011, 08:47 AM

It's all about the deceleration!

This is relatively useful

http://www.nhtsa.gov/people/injury/a...s03/page3.html

RAR · 08-24-2011, 02:37 AM

Makes sense I suppose...

cheers for that!

08-23-2011, 08:40 AM	#1
RAR Private First Class 9 Rep 136 Posts Drives: E92 M3 Alpine Ed. Join Date: Jun 2011 Location: Berkshire iTrader: (0)	Airbags - Activating at what speed? Hello all, I'm curious. I have done a search and cant find anything relating to my question... How fast would someone have to be going before hitting something and setting the airbags off? I ask because I had a crash 2 weeks ago, missus was in the front, 3 kids in the back and fortunately I wasn't going fast (about 30mph) when 4 cyclists pulled straight out in front of me from a side road causing me to swerve thus distracting my attention from the road and I ended up crunching into the back of some poor woman. The airbags didnt deploy although there was a fair bit of front end damage; bonnet, bumper, headlight cluster, radiator and aircon condensor. How would I know if the airbags even work? Obviously I understand that airbags wont deploy at the first little ding in the supermarket carpark, that would be useless but where abouts do the sensors sit behind the bumper? How fast would one have to be going to set them off? On a brighter note, I'm picking her up tonight (not the missus, the car) and I cant wait to see the shiney new bits all fitted and looking lovely. Cheers for reading.
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08-23-2011, 08:47 AM	#2
edowen Major 39 Rep 1,194 Posts Drives: E90 330i, 991 GTS, Cayenne S D Join Date: Nov 2008 Location: Uk iTrader: (0)	It's all about the deceleration! This is relatively useful http://www.nhtsa.gov/people/injury/a...s03/page3.html
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08-24-2011, 02:37 AM	#3
RAR Private First Class 9 Rep 136 Posts Drives: E92 M3 Alpine Ed. Join Date: Jun 2011 Location: Berkshire iTrader: (0)	Makes sense I suppose... cheers for that!
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