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

"George W. Frost" <frosty@[EMAIL PROTECTED]
> wrote in message 
news:nyeWj.714$IK1.195@[EMAIL PROTECTED]
>
> "Klompmeester" <whowhere@[EMAIL PROTECTED]
> wrote in message 
> news:dIWdncA-PYW4-LTVnZ2dnUVZ_jydnZ2d@[EMAIL PROTECTED]
>>
>> "^Tems^" <brookersteve913@[EMAIL PROTECTED]
> wrote in message 
>> news:4828e87b$0$22174$5a62ac22@[EMAIL PROTECTED]
>>>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.JPG
>>> http://i20.ebayimg.com/08/i/000/ef/9d/0571_1.JPG
>>
>> It's the rate of decelleration that determines if the bags go off, as 
>> well as the speed.
>>
>> In that accident the bags shouldn't have gone off because the impact
was 
>> absorbed by the panels.
>>
>
>
> The decelleration rate would still be the same, from 5 kilometres and
more 
> to zero in a matter of nano seconds.
>
> What difference would it matter if the panels were hit first or not ?

Crumpling metal absorbs energy and slows the rate of decelleration.

Run into a brick wall and then run into a foam mattress and get back to
me.