Re: At what speed do airbags go off in an accident?

"the fonz" <arthur.fonzzarelli@[EMAIL PROTECTED]
> wrote in message 
news:442c78ae-a1eb-457f-b86f-e151a28f43c3@[EMAIL PROTECTED]
 May 13, 11:01 am, ^Tems^ <brookersteve...@[EMAIL PROTECTED]
> wrote:
> I went to have a look at a Mondeo for parts that had rear ended a bus.
> The guy said his niece had hit the bus at around 60 k's. Strange thing
> was the airbags hadn't gone off. Do they have a set speed they go off or
> could it have been disconnected?
>
> This is the damage to the vehicle
>
>
http://i8.ebayimg.com/06/i/000/ef/9b/eacf_1.JPGhttp://i20.ebayimg.com/08/i/000/ef/9d/0571_1.JPG

>it's a minor bingle. the front bumper mount isn't even deformed. of
>course the airbags didn't go off.

>Klompmeester's explanation is correct - it's the rate of deceleration
>that triggers them. they are supposedly calibrated to trigger when
>that rate reaches a threshold considered likely to cause head injury.
>the minor damage in the photo would be nowhere near that.

Hitting a solid bumper or the panels would make only a slight difference
on 
the rate of deceleration
the vehicle will stop in the same space