Could someone please tell me why my airbags did not go off?

Initial impact was right below the drivers side mirror at the center of an intersection. The car continued at a 45 degree angle to the corner where i struck an electric pedestrian traffic signal HEAD ON, which came down and broke my windshield and broke the 12 ft. traffic signal off of the ground. My car then continued about about 8-10 feet and hit a guard rail on the passenger side fender.


The car is totalled!

Might not buy another xA if this is a problem, or toyota for that matter.

here is the link....

http://community.webshots.com/album/470114381UUiWXO

 

I'm just taking a stab but the air bag sensors are by the headlights on each side of the front bumper. I saw them when I was changing out my lights. Initial impact wouldn't have triggered the circuit to break and blow the air bags, and how your 2nd hit was smack in the middle of the bumper I was thinking the same thing.

 

This sounds about right. Air bags only deploy for head on collisions.

 

ouch sorry to hear that your xA is totalled. Atleast you didn't get injured and hurt. I got into an accident yesterday with my xA but it wasn't major.

 

i did hit that post at a good speed though. i was doing probably 30 through the intersection when he hit me....

oh well... good bye rims!

goodbye xA.....

 

I can guarantee if you had side airbags they would have gone off. Considering the force of the impact was lateral from the side of the vehicle the airbags should not have deployed. Look at the bright side: At least you're safe and the only damage done was to the pole and to that poor xA.

 

I got into an accident while my dad was driving before doing about 30mph and the airbags didn't go off when I thought they should. Im not really sure how that stuff works.

Good thing you didn't get hurt though

 

I got the side of my car hit when it only had 1600 miles on it. Was pretty ____ed, and it was by a new driver. errr. I wonder, if I had side airbags, would they have gone off?

 

WHY wouldent you want another xa? IT looks like the car took the hits pretty well from those pics. Glad you are ok !

 

I think what was already stated here is correct. The initial impact to the side of the car wouldn't have (and isn't supposed to) deploy frontal airbags. The secondary impact to the front of the car probably wasn't enough force to deploy them. They are calibrated to only go off if the force of impact is significant enough to need them. Since you weren't hurt, I guess you didn't need them.

 

And from what I understand, if they go off when you don't need them to, you could really injure yourself. I had an aibag deploy once, when it was suppose to of course, and it really hurt. It probably saved me from getting a very bad head injury, but it can do some real damage if it deploys at the wrong time.

 

I had one go off as well, I can't say that it hurt cuz the darn thing knocked me unconscious for about 5 seconds. Lol.

 

Your poor xA exchange her life for your life think about it buddy

 

But instead of my head injury, I got a gnarly red welt on my forehead. Contrary to what the movies show, airbags are not soft and fluffy. But they do save lives. My girlfriends dad thinks they don't, and that seatbelt don't either. He says that if he crashed and flips, he doesn't want to be hanging there. Then I tell him, yeah, you'll go out your windshield instead. Then he tries to rationalize why not using a seatbelt is safer.

I swear, you just can't inform some people. He'll learn his lesson one day, when he really hurts himself.

 

airbags will usually deploy on a 35-40+ mph head on collision. that is why there are stickers all over the car telling you to wear a seatbelt in conjunction with airbags. airbags are designed for extreme incidents, not fender benders. As mentioned, your car was hit in the wrong spot initially for the airbag to go off. By the time you hit the pole you were moving too slowly and the computer decided they werent needed. Road signs, signals, poles, etc are designed to fall when hit, otherwise you would have wrapped around the pole and not walked away. The cars built in safety design absorbed the impact and probably saved your life. Give the poor thing some credit.

 

These cars stand up pretty good in accidents. My took it, now I have a lot more respect for it than I did before my accident.

 

WOW! That looks exactly like the hit my Civic took, very sorry to hear about your loss.

 

Well all I can say is good thing you are still alive. So what happened??

 

I woulda have been so happy the airbags didnt go off.
I am seriously scared of getting in an accident and having the airbags break my nose or something.

 

Yeah, they hurt. I got a gnarly blood filled bump on my forehead from one. I wasn't pretty, but it probably saved me from some real serious injuries.