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Killed Deer, Airbags didn't deploy....what to do?

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#21 ·
Re: Killed Deer, Airbags didn't deploy....what to do? (GameDay)

the airbags didn't deploy because the computer detected teh rate of deceleration wasn't great enough. When you hit a dear the car dosen't stop it keeps going. When you hit another car both stop. they have two majorly different type of forces.
your airbags are working perfectly. If they went off with every minor accident then they'd kill you. They are explosions that go off in your face and only go off when needed. Plus they are hella expensive to replace.
If you are THAT worried about it you can ask to have them checked, but your daughter is fine so they did their job.
I have a friend who hit a tree at 25mph but they way she hit it her airbags didn't go off. She had them tested by dodge (new neon) and they found them to be just fine. It was the way her accident occured they didn't go off. And she walked away.
Another friend clipped a telephone poll and rolled her taurus but she hit the telephone pole head on a >35mph her airbags did go off. And they did help her.
Be happy your daughter is safe. They did their job. If they had gone off they could have potentionally done ALOT of damage at that minor of an impact. Yes it did alot of body damage BUT her car had ALOT less deceleration force than if she had hit another car.
In general I think the public needs more explanation of how airbags work and what they do. Because I have seen several of these questions lately about people ticked their airbags didn't deploy when they weren't needed.


[Modified by landrumdh, 10:08 AM 4-10-2002]
 
#22 ·
Re: Killed Deer, Airbags didn't deploy....what to do? (GameDay)

Airbags are deployed by deceleration, not speed. With your daughter in the car, you had a 3,000 lb vehicle hitting a 150 lb (approx) deer. That's a 20:1 mass ratio. The deer was accelerated (and killed) but the car did not decelerate enough to trigger the air bags.
As previous posters have pointed out, 1) the fact that she is OK proves that the airbags were not necessary in this case, and 2) you really, really don't want the airbags to go off unless they are absolutely necessary. They are not nice.
This is a very safe car for it's weight and size. I took 2 hits from an 80,000 lb tractor-trailer hauling granite and walked away from an 84 Golf that looked like an accordion. (No airbags available.) Trust the engineering.
Now as for three accidents in less than a year;
Good judgement comes from experience
Most experience comes from bad judgement.

Good luck.
 
#23 ·
Re: Killed Deer, Airbags didn't deploy....what to do? (Black_MkIV)

my buddy drove his eclipse into a telephone pole at about 30mph, and his bag went off. about 30 seconds after the hit (it's actually quite a wait, if you think about it), the passanger bag went off and knocked his passenger out cold...
be sure to have them vw techs check it for freaky stuff like that happening, but i'm pretty sure it was just because it was a mitsubishi (they've been known for that kind of thing, i guess)
 
#24 ·
Re: Killed Deer, Airbags didn't deploy....what to do? (spaceman_spiff)

poor deer. It was probably thinking "Oh I can't wait to graze in the field across the street".......then KAPOW!!!!! At least your fine.


[Modified by Mojaveluva, 7:41 AM 4-10-2002]
 
#25 ·
Re: Killed Deer, Airbags didn't deploy....what to do? (Mojaveluva)

My girlfriend drove my car into a parked car at aboput 15-20 mph and the passenger side airbags deployed. Now, I have to spend about 2000 dollars to get a new headliner, new seat, new airbags, and a new airbag control module. Replacing the airbags is actually more expensive than the bodywork required on my car!!!
I'm glad your daughter is safe though http://****************.com/smile/emthup.gif
Cheers
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#26 ·
Re: Killed Deer, Airbags didn't deploy....what to do? (GT Eye)

also glad your daughter is safe...
from another veteran of a bad accident: be glad the airbags didn't go off. i felt like i went a few rounds w/mike tyson after my accident. no burns, but phew. I think hawkeye is right when he says the airbags would go off if you hit something that doesnt give. there are sensors just like the ones that lock your seatbelt when you hit the brakes hard
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(anybody elses seatbelt lock them in ALL THE DAMN TIME?)
 
Discussion starter · #27 ·
Re: Killed Deer, Airbags didn't deploy....what to do? (GameDay)

WOW!
You guys rock! Thanks for all the great responses and feedback. First, yes my daughter is perfectly fine, and has been well protected in all 3 cases...thank you all for inquiring!
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These numerous accidents are a little tiring, and the rentals are crap
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I'm now educated more about airbags and how their deployment is directly related to the rate of deceleration and the amount of 'give' required for them to deploy. Thanks!
The car seems like it's an accordian every 3-5 months though, but as long as she's safe...(Sigh)...I used to really like that Jetta too!
Anyhow, thanks again for all the contributions here...I was expecting 1-2 responses, and have 25 in less than 1 day! http://****************.com/smile/emthup.gif You guys really love your new cars, don't ya!
God Bless!
GameDay
 
#29 ·
Re: Killed Deer, Airbags didn't deploy....what to do? (converted_vw)

airbags are nasty; i happened to be in a friend's car when his airbag misfired while we were waiting at a stoplight. not only did it scare the poo out of me, but it gave him a broken jaw.
 
#30 ·
Re: Killed Deer, Airbags didn't deploy....what to do? (2002Bora)

quote:[HR][/HR]mmm venison is good
http://****************.com/smile/emthup.gif
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[HR][/HR]​
Mmm....deer burgers
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#32 ·
Re: Killed Deer, Airbags didn't deploy....what to do? (Loudawg007)

Also depends on whether or not you have your seatbelt on. VW has done years of research (crashing cars into walls/other cars in controlled tests) and design to make your car as safe as they can (while still being affordable*). Glad your daughter is okay. Getting her another Jetta?
 
#33 ·
Re: Killed Deer, Airbags didn't deploy....what to do? (airg8t)

i dont think it is related to deceleration...
from what i know the bumper had to be impacted... the sensors are in the bumper somewhere and it has to be directly hit straight on for the bags to deploy... what might have happened is that yo took out the legs of the deer and it flew on your hood, not enough impact to the bumper to caust the airbags to go....
i have seen many accidents in which the car rear ends a truck of something high... and it doesnt affect the bumper just the headlights, grille, hood, etc. some of these accidents are pretty hard and the airbags didnt deploy.
Joon
 
#34 ·
Re: Killed Deer, Airbags didn't deploy....what to do? (flyjetta)

quote:[HR][/HR]damn.. those airbags are brutal! I also heard that it's bad to drive with your hands inside the steering wheel.. holding the middle.. because if the airbag went off from impact.. it would practically take your thumbs off..[HR][/HR]​
driving with your hands on the inside is dumb for more than just that reason.
 
#35 ·
Re: Killed Deer, Airbags didn't deploy....what to do? (negoo)

a guy i worked for said they were at a stop light in his volvo and all the sudden the airbags deployed.. they are making volvo pay for his wifes plastic surgery.. just be lucky that didnt happen to you
 
#36 ·
Re: Killed Deer, Airbags didn't deploy....what to do? (GameDay)

My good friend was in an accident where airbags deployed and she has airbag burns all over her chest. I was in a head on collision and doing 40 and the airbags didn't deploy and I'm happy about it, i had bruises from the seat belt but that's it. A deer isn't that hard of an animal, wanting airbags to deploy is kind of an interesting request when you have a minor accident?? just my opinion
 
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#38 ·
Re: Killed Deer, Airbags didn't deploy....what to do? (DuckyGTI)

hmmm... reading a few posts, maybe i'll reiterate how the system works.
there's little yellow plastic cubes in a few points in the car, and these are the airbag switches. inside, they have a coil, or other interlaced pattern of conductive material, and only when the unit is crushed does it make contact and ignite the airbag that it is programmed to (different sensors trigger different combinations of airbags depending on how they figured the car would react in certain accident situations). one place i've actually seen the sensor is behind the plastic trim on the back seat doors. it's right about where your shoulder is, and it's attatched to the frame. now if something were to hit the car in that area, you can imagine that it's going to break the cube relativley easy if the impact was so severe that it caused the metal to crunch in on you, thus needing the bag.
i guess what i'm pointing to is the fact that the bags are triggered only by the collapse of the car, not by impact force alone. only when the structure of the car is compromized will they go off. if you were to hit the deer in a fashon that caused the car to crumple in a spot the engineers thought was dangerous (hence there would be a sensor), whalla. they'll go off when you ned them to, fear not
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sorry if that was a tad remidial, it just seemed like a few ppl were still lost. http://****************.com/smile/emthup.gif
 
#39 ·
Re: Killed Deer, Airbags didn't deploy....what to do? (spaceman_spiff)

I was stopped and about to parallel park my old passat at school when a girl in a minivan (who was actually in the same cancelled class) hit me in the rear corner me at 40 mph. I had 3 passengers in my car and the only injury was a minor cut on my friend in the back who wasn't wearing a seatbelt. My car was totalled but the cops and mechanic said i was lucky about 2 things, that all of us walked away (the trunk was no only about 2 inches long), and that the airbags didn't go off.
 
#40 ·
Re: Killed Deer, Airbags didn't deploy....what to do? (Loudawg007)

quote:[HR][/HR]Hmmmm I just hit one of those concerte guardrails at about 35 mph and the airbags didn't deploy but wouldn't that be enough deaccelration to amke the airbags go off?[HR][/HR]​
Depends on the angle and exactly where it hit on the car. My mom hit a jersey barrier going about 40 in her old Sable. The airbags didn't deploy, but it was because of HOW she hit the barrier. I'm glad they didn't go off, it wasn't necessary, as she walked away perfectly fine.
To reiterate, when in doubt get a tech to check them.
 
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