When a vehicle is in a severe rollover should the airbags deploy?

Question

i had a 2003 tahoe and was in a highspeed rollover, my airbags did not deploy to help keep me from being ejected which i was

Answer 1

They may or may not depending on if the front sensors detected if the crash is severe enough for deployment but...........

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.

Answer 2

Front airbags are designed to deploy on a front-end collision, which you probably did not have.  If the Tahoe had side airbags, they would have been more apt to deploy, as the vehicle probably took some pretty hard raps on the sides, but even that may not happen, because the side airbags are designed to deploy on a hit by another car to the side (front door) area, and I see where you could roll and still not have this area hit hard enough to deploy them.

Answer 3

Because airbags aren't meant to keep you from being ejected. They're meant to stop you from smashing your face into the steering wheel. If you rolled over but didn't smash the sensors in the front/back of the car that deploy the airbags, then no, they wouldn't deploy.

Answer 4

if the front of the truck was not damaged the firing system won't go off.

Answer 5

yes.. mosty of the time unless the airbags are defective from the factory.

Answer 6

If you dont hit something hard enough to trip the impact sensors they wont deploy.  The rolling normally sets off the side airbags if equipped, but are not infallable.  You're still an idiot.  Airbags are extra protection.

Were you:

Wearing a seatbelt?

Speeding?

Driving a topheavy overweight suv that says right in the owners manual "this vehicle tips over when performing high speed manuvers"

It's your own fault for driving the tahoe, not the airbag manufactures.

Answer 7

Depends on where the trigger sensors are located. Most vehicles are triggered by the front bumper to protect the occupants in a ''head on'' crash situation.

Answer 8

I would say so. They are there to protect you, otherwise they are useless.

Answer 9

Airbags are for a head-on collusions. In a roll over, it may go off, but by accident.  They only momentarily deploy, so in a roll over they would have no benefit. Your seat belt should keep you from being ejected. Hopefully you are alright.

Answer 10

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/...

PS.  This vehicle may not be equipped with rollover sensors.

Answer 11

I guess you only have front airbags and front air bags are not designed to deploy in side impact, rear impact or rollover crashes