Do airbags activate if you aren't wearing your seatbelt?

**marv25** · November 22nd, 2008 10:54 PM

Do airbags activate if you aren't wearing your seatbelt?

Dito sa cebu, walang seatbelt-seatbelt... but curious lang... will the airbags still deploy if ever?

maganda sana na kung sa city lang na maliit, na mahina lang ang speeds, the airbag wont deploy if ever... kasi baka naman you hit something nga but wala naman gasgas, or maliit lang but nag-deploy yung airbag... additional expense yun... aside from the hearing damage...

so if i'm on a highway, then ill wear the seatbelt then the airbag will be active...

**StraightSix** · November 22nd, 2008 11:20 PM

Originally Posted by marv25

Do airbags activate if you aren't wearing your seatbelt?

Yes, but it's only supplemental to the seatbelt - the SRS standing for Supplemental Restarint System. Your main restraint system is still the seatbelt.

Right now the UK government is airing TV ads which show people that with airbags alone (without the seatbelt), a collision at normal city speeds of 30 mph (abt 48 kph) has a high probability of resulting in internal organ damages. At the point of impact and airbag deployment, your body is still travelling at 30 mph until it hits the airbag.

The main point being ... buckle up ... even if you have airbags.

**dadz** · November 22nd, 2008 11:39 PM

Bro StraightSix is correct on that, plus the activation of airbag is depending on how you hit, in most cars there are 2 sensor that detect the impact, for example you hit a poll or a tree in the middle of you front, most sensor are not position in the center so your air bag may not or it will not deploy. Check your owners manual for more explanation on restrain and safety. Seatbelt is still the best restrain you have to keep your life in case of an accident.

**boybi** · November 23rd, 2008 12:18 AM

Airbags won't deploy in slow speed impacts. So yung sinasabi mong travel mo sa maliit na city na mabagal lang, the airbag should not deploy when the car hits something.

**OTEP** · November 23rd, 2008 12:26 AM

Yes, they will deploy. Airbags were originally tested with unbelted crash test dummies. That's why the first generation airbags were very powerful to the point of decapitating children and severely injuring passengers in some circumstances.

As previously stated, seatbelts are still the best. I've seen my share of patients with massive injuries because they were smart enough to buy an expensive car but dumb enough not to wear their seatbelts.

It's also amazing how a lot of people regard the airbag as some sort of miracle life saving device. Sheesh...

**v6dreamer** · November 23rd, 2008 04:59 AM

Originally Posted by marv25

Do airbags activate if you aren't wearing your seatbelt?

Dito sa cebu, walang seatbelt-seatbelt... but curious lang... will the airbags still deploy if ever?

maganda sana na kung sa city lang na maliit, na mahina lang ang speeds, the airbag wont deploy if ever... kasi baka naman you hit something nga but wala naman gasgas, or maliit lang but nag-deploy yung airbag... additional expense yun... aside from the hearing damage...

so if i'm on a highway, then ill wear the seatbelt then the airbag will be active...

I assume you mean a front air bag. If you get t-boned, your side air bag will deploy no matter what your speed.

Anyway, speed is not the determining factor.

If your car is standing still and another vehicle hits you head-on, your air bag will still deploy. The sensors read acceleration -- change in speed over time, not road speed

**v6dreamer** · November 23rd, 2008 05:16 AM

Originally Posted by marv25

Do airbags activate if you aren't wearing your seatbelt?

Dito sa cebu, walang seatbelt-seatbelt... but curious lang... will the airbags still deploy if ever?

maganda sana na kung sa city lang na maliit, na mahina lang ang speeds, the airbag wont deploy if ever... kasi baka naman you hit something nga but wala naman gasgas, or maliit lang but nag-deploy yung airbag... additional expense yun... aside from the hearing damage...

so if i'm on a highway, then ill wear the seatbelt then the airbag will be active...

I assume you mean a front air bag. If you get t-boned, your side air bag will deploy no matter what your speed.

Anyway, speed is not the determining factor.

If your car is standing still ( idling) and another vehicle hits you head-on, your air bag will still deploy since airbag operate on a electronics circuit that is completed only when the ignition is on. The sensors read acceleration -- change in speed over time, not road speed.

Some Air Bag systems are what is known as "smart" systems, mostly found on newer models. they sense if a passenger is in the passenger front seat. If the smart sense that there is no passenger on front seat, airbag wont deploy on that side. Reason, I guess its all about money...too expensive. Other systems are passive, they do not have passenger front seat sensor. therefor the passive system will go off on any impact to the front of vehicle.

You can check your car into a local dealership if your car equiped with smart.

**redorange** · November 23rd, 2008 06:12 AM

Air bags will deploy without you wearing your seatbelt. They do deploy on slow speed collisions if the accelerometer detects a sudden impact it will deploy the air bag regardless of speed. I was going about 15mph/24kmh when I rear ended a pick up and it was sudden enough to deploy both my driver and passenger air bags. After that incident I wouldn't recommend you rely on the air bag only, it is a very violent explosion and if you expect to be unharmed you're wrong. I had a bruise in my forearm for more than a month where the plastic of the airbag cover hit along with the air bag. If you looked at the plastic you could see pieces with traces of my skin on it. If I had no seatbelt that would have been my face easily and the damage would have most likely been worst. BTW if you have a front air bag only it won't save you on a side crash but a seatbelt will. That's why race cars have a 5 point seat belt but no air bags and more drivers walk away in worst crashes than in regular car accidents.

**marv25** · November 23rd, 2008 08:46 AM

Originally Posted by v6dreamer

I assume you mean a front air bag. If you get t-boned, your side air bag will deploy no matter what your speed.

Anyway, speed is not the determining factor.

If your car is standing still and another vehicle hits you head-on, your air bag will still deploy. The sensors read acceleration -- change in speed over time, not road speed

so... can very-hard-braking also activate airbags?

**v6dreamer** · November 23rd, 2008 10:34 AM

Originally Posted by marv25

so... can very-hard-braking also activate airbags?

No - slamming on your brakes won't do it. It takes about 3-4 g's of DECELERATION to activate an airbag (a change in velocity of 16 mph in 200 ms - the rates vary by manufacturer). The greatest deceleration you get in a modern vehicle is about 0.8 to 0.85 g (assuming anti-lock brakes on good pavement) and the deceleration time is much more prolonged.

Rapid deceleration (you have said hard braking), in this case means going from above 16MPH to a dead stop or very close to a dead stop in 200ths of a second. You can't do that with the brake pedal, impossible.