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

"Klompmeester" <whowhere@[EMAIL PROTECTED]
> wrote in message 
news:aKOdnVInTInl3LbVnZ2dnUVZ_g6dnZ2d@[EMAIL PROTECTED]
>
> "Daryl Walford" <dwalford@[EMAIL PROTECTED]
> wrote in message 
> news:jZqdndJTgMNqKrfVnZ2dnUVZ_sWdnZ2d@[EMAIL PROTECTED]
>> zonie wrote:
>>> Toby, After what you said about yanks having a tendency to not use
their
>>> seat-belts I decided to look on my daily travels. I drive around all
day
>>> on light deliveries. After driving all day and looking at every car I
>>> could when I thought of it I did see 4 motorist without belts. I 
>>> would'nt
>>> say that is such a huge amount to say that yanks have the propensity
to
>>> not wear belts. I know you like pick on yanks when you can, but
thought
>>> you would like the correct info.   Scott
>>
>> Has the rate of seatbelt use changed recently?
>> One of the reasons many people in Australia think seatbelt use isn't as

>> common in the US is because of the way air bags are set to deploy 
>> differently in each place, AFAIK airbags go off much earlier in US cars

>> which we have always assumed was due to more people not wearing belts,
I 
>> can't think of any other reason for airbags in the US being deployed a 
>> lot earlier than here.
>>
>
> They're not just going off earlier, they are designed to stay inflated 
> longer as well.

They are also a lot larger than those used in Australia or Europe - The 
theory being that a seat belt will 'guide' the occupant within a specific 
area. With no seatbelt the occupant could end up anywhere, so they make
the 
US airbags bigger to cope with that possibility.

-- 
Kwyj.