Airbags didn't deploy

[NCC1701]

Originally Posted by mdfortwoguy

Correct... and in this instance, it made more sense to use deceleration instead of using negative acceleration.

Acceleration is acceleration. Negative or positive.

[SuperGeek]

Pictures on a forum aren't enough to decide if airbags should have deployed. On scene investigators and EMTs will have their own opinions. Insurance will investigate if they think there's a defect. Angle of impact, speed, direction of all forces involved are all variables in deciding whether to deploy an airbag. If the injuries are limited to bruising and not even a broken bone, my armchair diagnosis is that everything went as designed - airbags are considered an extreme defensive measure and only deploy when the impact is really pretty bad.

The geek in me wants to know all the technical details of course, but at the end of the day all we can do is trust that the designers did their jobs and made the cars as safe as they were tested to be.

A friend of mine hit a bridge support at 30-40mph a few weeks back and his airbags didn't deploy either. The car was totalled but his injuries are limited to bruises. The car took the hit as designed. Shooting an airbag at him might have injured his face unnecessarily. This is why we're supposed to wear seat belts ... the airbags expect the seat belts to take the first X pounds of force before slacking just before they crack ribs. 'Force limiting seat belts'

[mdfortwoguy]

Originally Posted by jetfuel

MD...don't know if I can agree with you...
...sensor should have deployed the side air bag...
...while looking at the side view picture of the OP I see something that's hanging right in front of the rear wheel that looks like if it is suspended by two wires...hummm
comparing the two car damage it seem like they are similar.
It will take some time and the data to really understand what went on...

jeyfuel

True - however, look at it this way. In the IIHS tests, the smart was at a standstill and got rammed - and the full force was focused on the door.

In the crash posted about here - the car was moving forward. The impact appears to have started on the door, but the tridion/rear wheel took the full force (look at the depth of the scrapes towards the front of the door).

The question comes to mind - was the rear wheel shattered in the initial impact, or the rolling that came later on?

[mdfortwoguy]

Originally Posted by NCC1701

Nevermind the fact that centrifugal force doesn't exist.

Fictitious forces to exist as a point of reference. Rotational forces, while not inertial, do play a part here.