[fish4it38]

So I got in a car accident last night and it was pretty bad. In was during the traffic rush and the car in front of my all of a sudden slammed on there breaks and once I saw I slammed on my breaks but I still couldn't avoid hitting the person in front of me. I most likely totaled my car, the insurance still needs to come look at it. The weird thing is that my airbags never deployed.

 

[rasterman]

The weird thing is that my airbags never deployed.

...and that money saved may be what keeps them from totaling the car. Glad you made it!

Part of an airbag working correctly is NOT going off unless it's needed. Not saying that's what happened to you, just a reminder that it's a possibility.

 

[AO River]

Sorry to hear about the accident and your banged-up Subaru,but like rasterman said if the airbags did not deploy then maybe it's not that bad.

But most important of all, you made it out okay to post about it

 

[Freelancer]

So my son comes home from school one day and says “dad, do you know that a car air bag is triggered by a sensor that reads the sudden reduction in speed and not the actual impact of a vehicle".
He says that he learned it in physics class.

If this is true, I wonder what that speed to sudden stop ratio is in a car's air bag. Does it vary among manufacturers?

Anyone know of these things?

Then there are the stories of missing airbags due to unscrupulous repair shops helping themselves to your airbag while conducting another repair.

In any event, sorry to hear about your accident.

 

[AO River]

^ Yes, generally airbag sensors and the resulting trigger is measured by deceleration and not necessarily the severity of impact. However, in order to reduce unnecessary deployments and to adapt the deployment speed to crash conditions, airbag triggering requirements have become much more evolved recently and now also factor in weight of the seat occupant, the seat location, seatbelt use, if a baby seat is present, etc.

As far as the speed or deceleration necessary to deploy the airbag: U.S. regulations require deployment in crashes at least equivalent in deceleration to a 14 mph barrier collision, or similarly, striking a parked car of similar size across the full front of each vehicle at about twice that speed.

 

[Aorys]

Be Glad You Didn't Have a Bull Bar

Good thing you were wearing your seat belt (right?).

Be glad you didn't have a bull bar (nudge bar) on the front. It would have damaged your whole front end.

Here's a test of a few different types of bull bars and how they do in crashes:

These crash tests were at 16 km/h. Granted, the video is basically an advertisement for a particular brand of bull bar.

 

[nipper]

The also look for a specific kind of impact, not any impact. A side impact like that would not give the proper signiture to set it off.

 

[Freelancer]

Thanks for that:29:

 

[Aorys]

Your Subaru will save your life.

 

[upflying]

Don't forget the "airbag sensor" is actually part of the 'black box" or Event Data Recorder. Based on a recent thread, no one seems want that privacy invasion in their vehicles.
OP, I would agree, your car is totaled. Repairs will exceed the value of the car.
Based on a conversation I had with a GM EDR engineer, airbag deployment algorithms is a closely guarded secret. Why you might ask? Personal injury attorneys.

 

[hallux]

Don't forget the "airbag sensor" is actually part of the 'black box" or Event Data Recorder. Based on a recent thread, no one seems want that privacy invasion in their vehicles.
OP, I would agree, your car is totaled. Repairs will exceed the value of the car.
Based on a conversation I had with a GM EDR engineer, airbag deployment algorithms is a closely guarded secret. Why you might ask? Personal injury attorneys.

a 97 won't have an EDR of the type discussed in that recent thread, if it has one at all.

 

[fish4it38]

Thankfully nobody was hurt and that's what matters. I will keep you posted when I hear back from my insurance.

 

[fish4it38]

Just a little update, I got a call from the insurance today and they are totaling my car out. Now I am on the hunt for another car, I'm thinking another Outback or a Forester.

 

[dianer]

Oh that is the same as my car! Sorry to hear of it's demise but glad you are ok.

 

[aftCG]

Total? That looks like it would buff right out.