What makes airbag deploy

Your email address will not be published. Open Today! Sales: 9am-9pm. Service: 7am-6pm. Parts: 7am-6pm. Look for this link on your favorites: Save. What Causes an Airbag to Deploy? August 3rd, by Findlay Volkswagen Henderson. Share this Post:. Email us Find a store View all contacts. Business membership benefits We support our business members with benefits to save you money. Compare options We have five Roadside Assistance options allowing you to choose the one that best meets your needs.

Get help now Broken down and need our help? Get emergency Roadside Assistance now. Roadside Assistance for electric vehicles ,,,. How it works What's included in your Roadside Assistance cover. Roadside for business We have a range of products to suit the roadside assistance needs of your business or fleet. Get insurance quote Retrieve a quote. Register here. Claims Weather event claim notification Home insurance claims Car insurance claims Pet insurance claims More Insurance discounts Insurance disclosure documents More The Queensland roadtrip is back Queensland must do's.

There are also other inputs into a computer which change the reaction of airbags, one of which is seatbelt use. These inputs, along with some others, make sure the seatbelts and airbags deploy as needed. One factor that eludes people on a frontal collision is impact angle. A front impact system will react as long as the Delta-v is within a parameter of force and within 30 degrees of vehicle centerline.

This allows the occupants to be going straight into an airbag for maximum effectiveness. If the airbags deployed outside this range, it would limit the effectiveness or cause injury, as the person would be coming at an angle or to the side of the airbag.

This bodily damage is better protected by side impact airbags. A crash occurring at an angle or when the vehicle is turning may not deploy airbags to protect occupants. Advertisement Summary. So the next time you see a pickup that has only minor damage yet the airbags deployed, you know the stiffness of the frame caused a high enough Delta-v to deploy the bags.

You also now know that when you see a car with major crush occurring, those crush and crumple zones absorbed enough of the crash energy to not cause a high enough Delta-v to trigger the airbags. Remember, the angles too may cause a system to not deploy. Front-impact airbags require a Delta-v in forward momentum to deploy. Magazine Current Issue Past Issues.

Connect with us. Advertise Subscribe Contact Us. Sitting as far back from the steering wheel or dashboard as possible and using seat belts help prevent drivers and passengers from being "too close" to a deploying frontal air bag.

This is why rear-facing car seats should not be placed in front of an active air bag, and children under 13 should be seated in the back seat. Air bags can only deploy once, so make sure you replace used air bags right away after a crash, only at an authorized repair center, and before you drive the vehicle again. Takata air bags, installed in tens of millions of U. If your car or truck is included in this list of Takata air bag-affected vehicles , contact your dealer for the appropriate repair.

You count on your air bag to protect you and others in your vehicle in the event of a crash. If your vehicle is equipped with a counterfeit air bag, there is cause for concern. Counterfeit air bags have been shown to consistently malfunction in ways that range from non-deployment to the expulsion of metal shrapnel during deployment.

NHTSA has identified certain vehicle makes and models that may have these air bags. We believe this issue affects less than 0. Consumers whose vehicles have been in a crash and who have replaced their air bags by a repair shop that is not part of a new car dealership within the past three years or who have purchased a replacement air bag online should contact the call center established by their auto manufacturer to have their vehicle inspected at their own expense and their air bag replaced if necessary.

The responsibility for replacing a counterfeit air bag will vary depending on the circumstances around the original installation of the part. If you are concerned and have an air bag that was replaced at a repair shop recommended by your insurance company, we recommend that you contact your insurance company. You may also wish to contact your local Consumer Protection Agency or the appropriate State Office of the Attorney General to determine your rights under the law, and the Better Business Bureau or the Federal Trade Commission to file a complaint.

There are few circumstances under which the risk of sitting in front of an active frontal air bag outweigh the safety benefits. Authorization will be granted under the following four circumstances:. The approval process for deactivation is more rigorous because, while an ON-OFF switch allows the driver or passenger frontal air bag to be turned on and off in appropriate circumstances, deactivation is not so flexible. Once deactivated, an air bag cannot be easily activated for those drivers or passengers who may need it.

If you are interested in having an air bag ON-OFF switch installed in a vehicle you own or lease check with the leasing company first to see if installing an ON-OFF switch would violate the terms of your lease , you will need to:.

The activation of an air bag in a crash is dependent on several important factors including: the characteristics of the crash e. Air bags are not intended to deploy in all crashes.