Air Bag Warning

[Mindy]

I had my two year anniversary a couple of weeks ago now and I want to educate people to airbags.
I was driving my van when the passenger front tire dropped onto the gravel shoulder and blew both airbags at almost 300 miles per hour. The reason for the accident was a wiring harness that issued two recall notices for my van alone. The wiring harness was known to short if the vehicle hit a pot hole, curb, etc. As a result the government warned this could cause air bag deployment, fire, etc. Problem being the US government allows the motor company to issue these recall notices and then does not check back to make sure it was done. In the case of my van no notices were ever sent for either recall. In fact this van to date has had six recalls by the federal government and only one recall was sent out by the company!
I have what is called an airbag inflation injury. In this category they put everyone who has been hurt even the ones killed. Unless you know this you will be told by doctors and the auto insurance company that airbags only hurt or kill children which is a lie. By 1998 38 adult drivers under 63 inches tall had been killed by airbags according to the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, Measuring Airbag Injury Risk to Out-of-Position Occupants. Anyone who sits closer than ten inches from an airbag is considered out of position and thus you are not protected. They site in this paper that the problem is that air bag gets caught under our chin before it unfolds thus it gets trapped and we take the full impact to this part of our body.
If you go to the NHTSA at http://www.nhtsa.dot.gov/airbags/factsh ... mbers.html you will see their Crash Statistics for 1998 and that the number of adults and children killed in front of airbags is almost equal.
If you go to http://www.umich.edu/~urecord/9697/Apr01_97/artcl05.htm and you can read how easy it is get a bpi in front of an airbag. I am only 64 inches tall with my arm bent I can't touch the roof in the car much less the windshield. Next time you are sitting in front of your airbag try to recreate this photo and what you would hit. In my case I hit nothing and so my bpi took the full force.
If you want to do something to stop people from being hurt or killed call your lawmakers and ask that a switch be installed that will allow everyone the right to shut off airbags in their car.

[crystal]

Yes i think about this often. im 4'11 so i sit very close to the wheel. we are looking at the ford sadans becouse of the ajustable pedal.We hate ford so that is how inportant it is to us. PLUS you must where your set belt. MUST.i have no tolerance for people not bukeling up there kids or themselves. there is no reason not too. in Austin i see kids in back of trucks driving down the highway. ive confronted parents in the parking lot. well is you can she you have hit a nurve.ill stop now

[crystal]

im shocked that the number is almost equal. that is shocking. don;t they have switches in trucks?

[Mindy]

I was buckled up but Ford is one of the auto makers who have seat belts that do not engage until a person comes against them. When a taller person slams on the brake they are thrown forward activating the seat belts. When a person who is smaller in height slams on the brake we are sucked back into the seat first then we come forward. In my case and countless others the airbag went off just as my body was coming forward so the seat belt never was activated. So for smaller people those seat belts do us no good. I would have gotten hurt just as bad even if I was not wearing a seat belt. Before you by a vehicle look at the airbag. The best out there right now is a three stage airbag. In the US it is not mandatory until 2003 that all new vehicles have these three stage bags. My truck is a 2000 and it is equiped with a three stage airbag. I want the right though to shut it off.

[crystal]

I think you should have a right to shut off airbags too. but i am afraid that just like seat belts people will not us them even it it does give then protection. i would have to be one that would shut it off becouse how small i am. when is was pregnent my belly seton the airbag. Chris had to drive for me everywhere. it was too dangers we would both die.