Advice needed re: DH car accident- airbags

[newnana]

Hi guys,
DH and DD were in a car accident this morning with the snow. Thank goodness they are both unharmed. There is an astounding amount of damage to the car. Head on collision, radiator cracked and at a 45 degree angle and pushed into the engine block. The front end is destroyed. They were in our subdivision and weren't going too fast, but the brakes weren't doing anything with the ice and they were heading downhill and picking up speed.

The airbags didn't deploy. I was astounded (and a little terrified by that, his car moved a parked cargo van about 10 feet from the force of the impact). The sherriff was really surprised by that, too.

It's a 2006 vehicle that we purchased used a few months ago. I thought we had a clean car fax on it, but will have to double check that.

What would you do about the airbags? We're hoping they total the car because of the extensive work it would take to repair it and it wouldn't ever be right. But I am pizzed. What should I be asking? Who should I ask? Manufacturer? Dealership that sold us the car? Nothing at all and just count my blessings that my 2 most important folks are unharmed?

All in all, this could have been infinitely worse and we were unbeliveably lucky. It being Sunday, we have made no progress at all and have no information and that is what is ultimately getting me. Once it gets towed tomorrow so it can be assessed for insurance, we'll be able to focus on moving on.

Any suggestions on this process would be much appreciated! Thanks everyone!

[shawnandangel]

Hmm, I guess I would check the owners manual and see at what speed the airbags are supposed to deploy, and then if DH was going that speed I would contact the CPSC and report that they didn't deploy.

[KrisM]

I'm glad they are okay!

How fast was he going? There is a speed threshold for airbags. If he was not going fast enough, they won't deploy.

[wellyes]

Oh my goodness! I'm SO glad they are OK.

I told your story to my husband, who is an auto safety engineer and works on airbag sensors. He thinks that if they were going at "parking lot speed" (under 30mph) then the airbags were probably not supposed to go off for this accident. Airbags are supposed to deploy if you hit another moving vehicle or a stationary object -- like a telephone pole. The fact that the van he hit MOVED made the accident much less severe than it could have been. In this case, seat belts and the vehicle's frame kept the passengers safe, so the car did a good job. Airbags can cause injuries so it's good that they only go off when absolutely necessary.

No matter what, I'm sure you're having a "count your blessings" day. I hate driving on ice!!

[lorinick]

I'm glad everyone is okay. The bad news is the car will most likely be fixable. The cost would have to be greater than what the car is worth. It's a 2006. So I'm thinking not. How fast do you think he was going? He may not have been going that fast. Cars usually don't do well in crashes even at low speeds. Good luck. It's stressful dealing with this I'm sure.

[BillK]

From Wikipedia:


Airbags are designed to deploy in frontal and near-frontal collisions more severe than a threshold defined by the regulations governing vehicle construction in whatever particular market the vehicle is intended for. U.S. regulations require deployment in crashes at least equivalent in deceleration to a 23*km/h(14*mph) barrier collision, or similarly, striking a parked car of similar size across the full front of each vehicle at about twice the speed. International regulations are performance based, rather than technology-based, so airbag deployment threshold is a function of overall vehicle design.

Unlike crash tests into barriers, real-world crashes typically occur at angles other than directly into the front of the vehicle, and the crash forces usually are not evenly distributed across the front of the vehicle. Consequently, the relative speed between a striking and struck vehicle required to deploy the airbag in a real-world crash can be much higher than an equivalent barrier crash. Because airbag sensors measure deceleration, vehicle speed and damage are not good indicators of whether an airbag should have deployed. Airbags can deploy due to the vehicle's undercarriage striking a low object protruding above the roadway due to the resulting deceleration.

[Tondi G]

My DH was in an accident in his Hyundai Santa Fe. center punched right into the driver side. It totaled his car and not ONE air bag deployed. Not the main, not the side impact... NADA. He hit the side of his head in the exact spot where the side impact air bags should have protected him. It was a real bummer. We spoke with a lawyer who said to attempt to go after Hyundai my husband would have needed to lose his life or something drastic. There was no reason to even consider pursuing anything cause they have company lawyers to deal with that. I looked online and found there are tons of reports of people who had issues with air bags deploying when they weren't supposed to and not deploying when they needed them to. Hyundai could care less! Needless to say we will not be buying another Hyundai vehicle. Their whole campaign was all about all the safety features and included air bags.... they do nothing for you if they don't deploy. False sense of security!

Glad to hear that everyone in the accident is ok. Sorry to hear you have to deal with a totaled car and getting a new one etc.

[JBaxter]

But you may need to replace your car seats!

[Snow mom]

But you may need to replace your car seats!

:yeahthat: I'd definitely replace carseats after an accident like this. Your insurance should cover it as part of the collision.

[stefani]

Wow! I am so glad that your DH and DD are OK.

My 5-year-old Toyota Camry was totaled without a single airbag deploying either. I was t-boned, and had rib contusion (bruised ribs).

Your car seat(s) in the car will need to be replaced regardless.

The insurance will take a look at how much it costs for the repair (if possible) and how much the car is worth. That might take a few days.

[newnana]

Thanks so much, everybody.

Yes, we'll be replacing the car seat.

Good to know about when an air bag would deploy. When I cruise down that hill riding my brakes, I find it hard to stay at the 35 mile per hour speed limit because the hill is so steep, but who knows with his brakes locked up the whole way.

And yes, the fact that it's a 2006 and comparing the cost of repairing vs. replacing has me sweating. I can't imagine it can be repaired. But we won't know that until we know that.

Thanks for all the information and the support. I needed it!

[jenandahalf]

Is there an alternate route you can take?

[codex57]

You also have to remember how cars are constructed now. No one specifically mentioned crumple zones. Cars are designed now to take a lot of damage in the engine compartment area. That's so the passenger area doesn't take as much force. Air bags are only supposed to come into play if forces are so great, the passenger compartment is taking more than ideal. Since DH and DC sound fine without airbags, looks like everything operated as it should. Cops aren't auto engineers nor are they car seat techs (usually). Not every cop knows everything. They just need to know what's criminal and what's not. That's a lot already. Don't expect more.