low speed collision

Jul 06, 2007 2 Replies

G'day,



I would like to know what is the threshold of GM cars (Pontial Sunfire in particular) regarding deployment of the Air bags? i.e. at whats the minimum speed of the impact that the air bags should pop open?



I had a fender bender in a rush hour traffic (may be at 5km/h) and the Air bags popped open!



Any thoughts??



I think the speed sensor itself is set for a very low value. It is the accelerometer that is the main determiner of the "severity" of the crash.

No speed sensor other than the accelerometers in the sensors. You can be parked and get hit hard and have the bags go off. It all depends on the G forces involved in the accident. If you hit a stopped vehicle and little of the energy was absorbed they will go off. On the other end if both cars were traveling at 55 and hit BUT kept moving at 55 the bags won't deploy. Kind of like swatting a fly, hit the fly in the air while it is going away from the swatter and you may knock it out of the air but not really hurt it. Put said fly on the wall so it cannot dissipate the impact energy and you get a smashed fly.

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