UK: Is is possible to buy a new car with no driver's airbag?

Hi

I won't go into the reasons but I wondered if it is currently possible to purchase a new model of car in the UK which either has NO drivers air-bag fitted, or one which can be switched off?

I realise that this might seem unusual but my wife is only 5-feet tall and sits so very close to the steering wheel that, she feels, if there was and accident which caused the air-bag to inflate, it would break her neck.

(She really does sit VERY close to the wheel.)

Whilst we have only had one (minor) accident during the past ten years, there is no point in my wife trying to drive a car of which she is terrified. That's the way to a near-certain accident.

It is not a problem for me as I am 6' 5" tall and sit well back form the wheel.

We shall have to change our current car during the next few months -

12-y-o Vauxhall Astra Estate is developing serious structural rust problems and it probably only pass one more M.O.T.

The manufcatureres/dealers I have tried all refuse, point-blank, to consider supplying a car with no driver's airbag.

Is there any way I could turn the bag off, notify the insurance company and pay the increased premium?

Advice appreciated.

Regards

David David Probett snipped-for-privacy@pobox.com

Reply to
David Probett
Loading thread data ...

Buy car.

Jump on bonnet to set airbag off.

Rip airbag out.

Replace steering wheel front.

Problem solved :)

Reply to
Dan405

If she sits so close to the wheel then in an accident her head is more likely to go through it or the windscreen (sorry to be so graphic).. I know which I'd prefer out of a big balloon or a solid steering wheel....

Reply to
Ben Organ

My view too. But there's no reasoning with her.

Years ago, when a passenger, she did go through a windscreen, and survived.

But that's another story, long long before she met and married me 25+ years ago. No seat belts in those days.

Still looking........

Regards

David David Probett snipped-for-privacy@pobox.com

Reply to
David Probett

Keep looking, no offence but shes being ridiculous.

Reply to
li

Tell me abut it. David Probett snipped-for-privacy@pobox.com

Reply to
David Probett

"Your search - airbag site:tvr.co.uk - did not match any documents."

Reply to
Grant Mason

Not rediculous at all, people are killed and injured by airbags, usually because they sit "too" close to the wheel. The solution is to fit a smaller steering wheel so that you can sit surther away from the wheel and have sufficient seat ajustment so that a good seating position is possible.

Of course being that much smaller and therefore lighter, less strain is placed on the seatbelt and you would go forward a lesser distance than a bigger person, so the required safe distance from the wheel is less, but the airbag defines its own zone of safety, remember that the idea is that the bag explodes to full size, and you hit it as it deflates, the theory doesn't work if you are next to the bag when it goes off.

You can take the airbag out of any car, it would be advisable to get a cheater circuit, which makes the car think the bag is still there, as many systems disable all of the saftey features when a fault is detected. I am pretty sure you can get these from replacement wheel suppliers, try your local boyracer emporium or deemon tweeks. It may cost extra to insure, depends on the company, You could help cover the cost by flogging the original airbag, they are quite expensive items to buy.

Reply to
Andrew Jewitt

The better spec'd cars have adjustable height on the seats now a days, has she tried sitting in one of these? Can also get those pedal mod's that allow small people to sit further back from the steering wheel. i think small people should be banned from driving car's anyway. they just look stupid.

How about the time i saw a bloke driving a car with one arm, and stump for the other. He had no disabled features on the car to help him drive, to change gear he let go of the steering wheel. the car also looked like an MOT failure, plus he said the car was his son's. believe this all add's up to invalid insurance.

Reply to
Joe

Hmmm - yes. Sadly this is true.

Oh yeah. You can simply replace the steering wheel with one that doesn't have an airbag.

To be fair, you need to seriously consider enforcing that she moves the seat further away. The "Preying Mantis" driving approach is dangerous.

Buying whatever suits and then replacing the steering wheel is your best bet... but to be fair it would be easier to persuade your wide to get the bus / walk / cycle / move back from the wheel.

Reply to
DervMan

The only no airbag cars I can think of are the Lotus Elise and the various Seven lookalikes (Caterham, Westfield etc.), along with the various track specials. Not exactly cars you'd go shopping in though. Why exactly is it your wife sits so close ot the wheel? I'm sure I've seen cars with pedals that move to where you want them.

Reply to
Doki

SWMBO is 5 feet short and she sits in a relatively normal driving position. I reckon my mum who is considerably taller at 5 foot 6 sits closer than SWMBO.

I reckon my mum is more likely to sustain injury through an airbag deploying than SWMBO despite the height difference.

Sounds like your missus is set in her ways.

However, if she really wants to do it, you could just pop down to your local modifying emporium such as Halfords and buy an aftermarket sports steering wheel which will have no airbag.

Dealers won't supply you a car without an airbag in case they get sued. And the whole airbag system is probably well built into the design of a modern car, making it almost impossible to supply one without any of the gubbins installed - plus they probably don't even make a steering wheel for that model without a bag inside it.

Reply to
fishman

I think Audi's procon-ten system and belt tensioners were a better than airbags - the steering wheel is pulled away from you and the belts pulled tight. Expensive and complicated though.....

Reply to
chris

I like the sound of the one in the original Audi 100. When you crash a cable attached to the engine block (which is now moving forwards relative to the chassis) pulls your seatbelt tight. I bet you knew about that :).

Reply to
Doki

Doki ( snipped-for-privacy@spamtroNspidar.com) gurgled happily, sounding much like they were saying :

Ah, yes, I remember that.... Audi called it "procon-ten"....

As the engine moved BACK relative to the chassis...

Reply to
Adrian

David Probett ( snipped-for-privacy@pobox.com) gurgled happily, sounding much like they were saying :

Since you're replacing a 12-y-o Astra estate, I guess suggesting a TVR isn't really going to be much help?

Nobody'd dare sell anything mainstream without airbags - the people who believe the adverts would run screaming.... If you could persuade a dealer technician, you could always get the bag disconnected - it'll be a case of removing the wheel centre, unplugging one connection, and putting it back on. Total cost, a pint or two for the mechanic.

I suspect it'd be a LOT easier on something slightly older that's out of warranty, as most new stuff now will throw an electronic tizzy at the mere thought. You'll also have less problems with it being reconnected at every service, too! "Oh, and your airbag seemed to have come disconnected, Sir, we've sorted that for you. Can't imagine how it happened..." There's no MOT implications - windbags aren't a part of the test at all.

Seriously - I'd be thinking long and hard about buying something 3-4 years old, and getting a non-dealer garage to disconnect it for you.

It does sound like she's got an odd driving position - SWMBO is 5'2, and sits plenty far enough away. Being too far back from the pedals even with the seat full forward is her problem, not being too close to the wheel.

Have you considered pedal extensions to move her back a bit? It'd probably make a big difference to how well she's able to drive, too. If she's THAT close to the wheel, her steering and visibility MUST be affected.

Reply to
Adrian

David Probett ( snipped-for-privacy@pobox.com) gurgled happily, sounding much like they were saying :

Slightly more practical suggestion than TVR, Elise etc.

Land-Rover Defenders definitely don't have windbags.

Possibly some of the double-cab Japanese 4x4 pickups?

Reply to
Adrian

David Probett raved thus:

:: My view too. But there's no reasoning with her.

Lie to her and tell her it's been deactivated. Then if she has a smash and it saves her skull then she'll probably come round to the fact that airbags can be beneficial.

Reply to
¤¤¤ Abo ¤¤¤
¤¤¤ Abo ¤¤¤ wrote

Agreed. Honesty is not the best policy when it comes to stubborn little women.

Reply to
fishman

Grr annoys me people like this are driving around on the road...

Reply to
Ben Organ

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