United Brachial Plexus Network, Inc.

i've read some of the links you've posted re airbags and from what it says....would that mean that noone under about 5 ft tall should EVER sit in the front of a car with airbags? That would mean all children and small adults can't use the front seats?? and do the manufacturers tell everyone this?

Anyone under 5'-5" to 5'-6" depending on the car maker in the US you are considered out of position and thus not protected. If you sit closer than ten inches one study says you are taking your own life in your hands. European cars vary so you you have to read each one individually.
Seat belts generally are not activated by smaller drivers and passengers so we take airbags on like we were never wearing a belt in the first place. So thus we are almost always seriously injuried if not killed in front of these things.

what????????? so, if i ever get rich enuf for a car under 10 years old, i and my children would actually be in danger in the front of the car? right, i'm going down to my local new car dealership to see if they point this very important fact out to me....what's the betting they don't?

I gurantee if they do tell you anything it will be to have your seat as far back as you can basically so your feet barely touch the petals and recline the seat back one position. And tilt the steering wheel down as far as possible. This supposedly will help you survive better. I did all these things and I still was almost killed by the lovely bomb! I live in a state where they put too much salt on the roads. Not very many vehicles make it past ten years old without rusting out. So in my state almost everyone is now in front of an airbag.
So if you read this and our angered by the idea some idiot decided you should have an airbag call your representatives up and demand that key activation be installed in every vehehicle. That way it is a personal decision based upon your needs not some auto maker's wallet.

Jenny,
I thought you might like to know this. It was part of an article by Ralph Hoar. He says 'Effectiveness of airbags in Australia, a 1996 General Motors study of airbag performance in its cars in Australia, reports that "the U.S. airbag is designed as a primary restraint unit, it is more aggressive than its Australian counterpart." The Australian airbag "is designed as a secondary restraint system and has a firing thershold of around 28 km/h (>17 mph)and a less aggressive deployment rate." The authors conclude that the "airbag used in this popular Australian passenger car may be superior in performance to its U.S. primary restraint counterpart." NHTSA tested the gentler, kinder Holden Commodore and found that it meets all FMVSS 208 requirements.' (The web address for this article is http://www.findarticles.com/cf_dls/m4PR ... rint.jhtml )
I wish my airbag would have came out at 17 miles per hour!!!!!!
Hope this helps.
Mindy