Can the car airbag deploy accidentally?

Question

Can the car airbag deploy accidentally?

Answer 1

Yes, airbags Have deployed accidentally, and caused injuries.

Answer 2

No not likely.  they have shielded wiring and at least 2 separate switches that have to be contacted at the same time in a series.   These have a gold plated steel ball that is stuck to a magnet.  You have to hit something hard enough with enough force to  break the ball loose from the magnet and touch the gold contacts at the same time.   The only time I have heard of them going off without being in an accident is when someone was fooling around under the dash not knowing what they were doing.

Answer 3

Here is a great article and a few videos about the causes of accidental

airbag deployment. Take a look!

http://blog.airbagsolutions.com/

Answer 4

rarely yeh

Answer 5

Yes, if you are in an accident. That is what is designed to do.

By itself, No

Answer 6

Rarely, but it does happen.

However, when it does, it's usually AFTER an accident - when it hasn't already deployed.

That depends on the nature of the accident. Airbags, as mentioned, are activated by impact switches - and to sum that up, have to really be hit with the right force/speed and be in the process of doing sufficient damage to activate them (so they don't go off if you bump someone in a car park!).

However...since there are multiple switches, sometimes one can be broken and others not. Or a combination like that - and in that case there is a real, tangible risk that later on - the bag could deploy.

These new side airbags are another issue - they're basically built to activate in a side collision (to stop your head hitting the window - meaning in a rear/head collision, they generally won't. However...if there is torsion or twisting on the side of the car - they can be set off.

I'm in the Fire & Rescue service...we use the jaws of life to cut people out of cars - and are very, very careful if an airbag hasn't already gone off. We've found a couple of times recently in practice setups that if a crashed car is being cut open from the side, the side airbags can deploy...or if we undertake what's known as a "steering wheel pull" or "dash lift" - where we lift away the dash/wheel to free someone's legs - that movement can trigger the main airbag.

So basically, yes and no. No without a crash (or tampering) - however a possible yes if there is a crash and they haven't already deployed - or if only the necessary ones have.

Hope I helped!