The Unpredictable Functioning of Airbags

A serious question regarding modern automobiles is:  Why do airbags occasionally fail to deploy in accidents?  Just because an airbag does not deploy does not necessarily mean that it is defective.  Much skilled labor is required to evaluate a crash and determine whether or not the airbag is defective.  An enhanced understanding of airbags is necessary to understand why they may not deploy.  This article shall focus on front airbags; though, a similar analysis would apply to side airbags as well.

Statistics

This problem is fortified by statistics from the United States National Highway Traffic Safety Administration from the period of 1990 to 2008.  While approximately 6,377 lives were saved by airbags, 175 people have lost their lives, including 104 children. 

Understanding Airbags

An airbag must fully deploy early in a collision in order to be effective.  This is the real scientific challenge, for crashes are truly analyzed by milliseconds (one millisecond = 1/1000 of a second).  According to research, an airbag must be fully deployed in 50 milliseconds or less to be effective.  Sensor data must enter the computer; the computer must then analyze the data and decide to deploy the airbag, and completely inflate the airbag in no more than 1/20 of a second. 

Because the process must occur so quickly, the airbag is inflated by explosives.  As a result, many people are injured each year by airbag deployments.  Injuries caused by airbags include:

• Chemical burns
• Broken noses
• Damaged eardrums

In fact, an airbag is similar to a firecracker going off in your face inside a car with the windows up.

Furthermore, it is essential for deployment to occur before the driver hits or comes close to the steering wheel.  If the individual hits the steering wheel before the airbag deploys, he or she would receive two impacts rather than being cushioned from the initial crash. 

Another challenge designers must overcome is that the supposition that the driver will no longer be steering the car once the airbag deploys.  For example, if a car strikes a curb and the airbag deploys, the driver will lose control of the vehicle.  However, airbags should never deploy under circumstances in which further driver control is required. 

For that reason, airbags are designed to deploy only after threshold impact.  If the change in speed is not sufficiently instantaneous, the airbag should not deploy.  Because of this, if an individual strikes a concrete bridge abutment at 40 mph, the airbag will deploy; it will not deploy should he or she drive off the road through small trees. 

The direction of impact may also affect deployment, for the computer measures the instantaneous change of speed from straight ahead.  Impact from an angle may not create an instantaneous change of speed from the forward direction sufficient enough to trigger the airbag. 

Also, the length of time in which the accident encompasses may affect the role the airbag plays in the crash.  For example, the airbags will not deploy if the event exceeds a short threshold, or if a minor crash occurs prior to a much larger one.  The individual could be out of position, such as having his or her face too near the steering wheel, when the larger crash occurs. 

Black Box Data

In the current auto industry, most manufacturers include "black boxes" in their vehicles designed to record detailed accident data.  The black box data will often answer why airbags did or did not deploy, and may also point out defects in the system.

Improvements in Airbags

Improvements in car and airbag designs have made them much more effective.  For instance:

• Airbags in newer model vehicles may shut off for smaller passengers        
• Pedals may adjust to better suit each driver to place them farther away from the steering wheel        
• Airbag computers have become more sophisticated
• Airbags may even deploy at different velocities depending on the size of the driver

Design Vs Defect

Though airbags may not always work as expected, they are designed to minimize injury caused in an accident.  Sometimes they do not deploy when they should, and typically that is due to their design.  However, sometimes they do not deploy due to product defects.  Only a detailed analysis of the accident itself and the black box data will tell why an airbag did or did not deploy.

If you have been injured in a car accident, contact the Auburn defective product attorneys of Skelton, Taintor & Abbott today.  Call us at (800) 639-7026 or fill out our online contact form for a free case evaluation!