Front driver airbag deployed in passenger side impact crash ?

Question

Should the drivers side airbag have deployed in passenger side impact crash. I had someone crash into me on passenger side , yet my drivers airbag deployed seriously burning my arm.The repair costs were UP there , but can't see why the drivers airbag deployed when there was NO frontal impact at all.

Answer 1

Sensors detect when a crash is severe enough for deployment.

If the car is hit on the passenger side, the front and rear side airbags on the passenger side will deploy. On rare occasions, if a crash is sufficiently severe with multiple impacts, the side airbags on the nonstruck side might also deploy.

Airbags deploy only when they might be needed to prevent serious injury. Frontal driver and passenger airbags are designed to inflate in moderate to severe frontal crashes equivalent to hitting a solid barrier at 10-12 mph.

Some manufacturers use different inflation thresholds depending on whether people are using their safety belts. Thresholds of 10-12 mph typically are used for unbelted occupants, but thresholds are higher — about 16 mph — for belted occupants because the belts alone are likely to provide adequate protection up to these moderate speeds.

Side airbags are designed to protect an occupant's head and/or neck from striking objects inside or outside the vehicle in the event of a side impact crash.

Because of the small amount of space between an occupant's head and the side of the vehicle, these airbags must deploy very quickly to cushion the occupant from any intruding vehicle or object such as a tree.

Sensors detect when a crash is severe enough for deployment.

Some curtain side airbags may stay inflated longer to protect occupants in rollover crashes. Allowing the airbags to remain inflated or triggering their deployment during a rollover can help prevent full or partial ejection of occupants

Answer 2

Questions like this are asked and answered all the time here.  There are specific criteria that need to be met to activate a deployment.  Check out this website for the EXACT answers to your questions including the blog specific to your concern. This site tells you exactly what needs to happen for the airbags to deploy and what needs to be replaced (seat belts & all) on over 3500 cars after they do.  

http://www.airbagsolutions.com

http://blog.airbagsolutions.com

http://www.airbagsolutions.com/resources...

http://blog.airbagsolutions.com/archive/...

Answer 3

although I cannot answer your question, one month ago I was in a serious car accident..I was traveling across the street and hit in the passenger side.  tow company owner said that 6he impact was 50-55 mph and I am told one second slower..one foot slower and I would be dead.  Back seat demolished..front door of driver's side (i was driver) was one foot in, I had no seat belt on.  Both of our front driver's airbags deployed.  No side bag deployment.  

A small Christmas tree box between front seats apparently prevented me from flying across seats and hitting my head on passenger door.

Injuries were lacerated spleen and liver (not detected until I went into shock from internal bleeding on the 9th day after 5 days of abdominal [pain and nausea,.  Also sustained a midback fracture and neck fracture and concussion (no memory of accident) and multiple strains and sprains..staples in head.

I am wondering it was the deployment of the air bag that fractured my back, neck or caused continuing pain in stomach area..that is still here nearly 5 weeks later.  I am thinking of gong to the hospital today to try to find out what is wrong with my stomach.

I wish I could tell if the air bags hurt or helped me coming from the front like that when hit on the side.  I also went into a ditch and hit a pole I think on the other side as the report said I hit a pole and the street has a marking that says pole but no pole is there now...damage to both sides..doors cut off front and back..frame broke in two and other severe damage to the car. If you have any idea if this front air bag going on in side collision helped or harmed me, I would sure appreciate it

Please use fresh aloe vera calendula (marigold) creme and contents of vitamin E capsules on your burns.  Only fresh aloe will work (try walmart's. target, nurseries etc to find it.  I used this on breast during radiation where I was given more than normal due to several things and although told I would have 3rd degree burns by 2nd week, had no burning until the 5th week so it helped a lot.