Need Help CF memebers: severe accident
05-19-2012, 10:04 PM
#21
Burning Brakes
Thread Starter
I'm very sorry to hear of your unfortunate accident.
I agree completely with HOXXOH - the angles, forces, location of impact, etc., are going to have to be analyzed by an experienced accident investigator to come up with the info you're after.
Like HOXXOH said, the location of the side impact sensor is at the rear of the door. You can see the sensor in the graphic below - at the bottom right is the door and item#4 is the Impact sensor:
You say the pole impacted to the rear of the door, and the door separated from the car. Perhaps the fact that the door separated didn't allow the sensor to receive the G-force necessary to activate it. If the pole had impacted the door and not allowed it to separate from the car the sensor may have sensed the the force required to activate it, but then the pole would have impacted right next to where you were sitting, and that may have been a worse scenario.
So....the accident investigators are going to have to analyze the situation and all the components of your airbag system to come up with why the side airbag didn't activate.
I wish you all the best for a quick and complete recovery!!!
Hopefully you'll be back 100% soon!!
Bob
I agree completely with HOXXOH - the angles, forces, location of impact, etc., are going to have to be analyzed by an experienced accident investigator to come up with the info you're after.
Like HOXXOH said, the location of the side impact sensor is at the rear of the door. You can see the sensor in the graphic below - at the bottom right is the door and item#4 is the Impact sensor:
You say the pole impacted to the rear of the door, and the door separated from the car. Perhaps the fact that the door separated didn't allow the sensor to receive the G-force necessary to activate it. If the pole had impacted the door and not allowed it to separate from the car the sensor may have sensed the the force required to activate it, but then the pole would have impacted right next to where you were sitting, and that may have been a worse scenario.
So....the accident investigators are going to have to analyze the situation and all the components of your airbag system to come up with why the side airbag didn't activate.
I wish you all the best for a quick and complete recovery!!!
Hopefully you'll be back 100% soon!!
Bob
05-20-2012, 02:11 AM
#22
Race Director
Member Since: Sep 2007
Location: Peoria/Phoenix AZ
Posts: 16,556
Received 2,062 Likes
on
1,506 Posts
C6 of Year Finalist (performance mods) 2019
We can go 'round & 'round w/ the silliness. I will not reply anymore.
Specifically, someone asked what type of info was I was seeking. Basically:
1. has anyone had personal experience with a side impact where airbag did/did not deploy. If so, would they mind posting the particulars.
2. I'm sure there's a check down algorhythem, i.e. specific weight met by seat occupant (my other car when I throw my briefcase in the front seat it senses the weight of a small child, thus disables & a warning light goes on), seatbelt buckled, door closed, etc. So any info here may be helpful.
3. What eactly triggers sensor, I find it hard to believe it has more to do w/ a direct hit, but rather meeting the algorhythem and a specific G-Force caused by an impact from a specific direction.
We need not worry about the particulars of how it happened, but rather what happended. Because i was knocked unconscious I cannot with 100% accuracy the specifics, but based memory leading up & looking at the after effects the particulars are as follows.
1. I had just accelerated onto highway and shifted to 2nd (6MN) so at max rpm, that's around 40mph. May have accelerated 10 more mph b/f had to take avasive manuver. Quick left, probably 1/4 turn to avoid dog, then quick right to avoid flt shoulder, gravel, grass median
2. Left rear tire hook weak shoulder, hooking the car perpindicular to road, car as best I can guess slid completely into grass striking cement highway lamp.
3. My stature is 5'7" 185 w/ 33" waist, point being thick & pretty muscled through chest & shoulders & given height low in seat. Pole struck veh., guessing 90* right at gas filler. Broad shoulders mahe contact w/ door & elbow on armrest hand at wheel. Point, body is already in contact w/ inner door panel in normal seated pos.
4. Force of impact caused main mass (chest & shoulders) to strike door w/ sufficient force to rip lock latch of fiberglass door jamb. BTW, newer models have a heavy internal latch seen on vrtually all cars. Front hinges gave way as well.
5. Simultaneously neck whiplashed, head striking window which disintergrated as auto glass does.
6. Forward momentum caused veh. to semi right itself in initial direction and come to rest 30-40 ft, from pole still in median.
7. Car total loss. Have both auto & health insurnace. Slow to recover accident took place 2/15.
I'm simply trying to ascertain if the airbag should have deployed, cannot say definitively, but given airbag proximatey & injuries, intuitively one wouls think injuries may been lessoned/avoided.
I feel this is a question worth asking. Tramatic brain injuries don't heal, they are managed, neck injury may be possibly corrected surgically.
So that's it in a nutshell. I'm am awre of the legal route, but honestly I am trying to educate myself on the SRS for now to understand what happened. My injuries are permenant and treatment on-going, so I have no idea where I'll be in 6 weeks, 6 mos., 6 years.
Feel free to respond w/ questions specific to the accident. Please no more wudda, cudda, shudda, or judgemental replies. I seeking facts thats all. Thanks to all who have passed on well wishes and insightful info.
Specifically, someone asked what type of info was I was seeking. Basically:
1. has anyone had personal experience with a side impact where airbag did/did not deploy. If so, would they mind posting the particulars.
2. I'm sure there's a check down algorhythem, i.e. specific weight met by seat occupant (my other car when I throw my briefcase in the front seat it senses the weight of a small child, thus disables & a warning light goes on), seatbelt buckled, door closed, etc. So any info here may be helpful.
3. What eactly triggers sensor, I find it hard to believe it has more to do w/ a direct hit, but rather meeting the algorhythem and a specific G-Force caused by an impact from a specific direction.
We need not worry about the particulars of how it happened, but rather what happended. Because i was knocked unconscious I cannot with 100% accuracy the specifics, but based memory leading up & looking at the after effects the particulars are as follows.
1. I had just accelerated onto highway and shifted to 2nd (6MN) so at max rpm, that's around 40mph. May have accelerated 10 more mph b/f had to take avasive manuver. Quick left, probably 1/4 turn to avoid dog, then quick right to avoid flt shoulder, gravel, grass median
2. Left rear tire hook weak shoulder, hooking the car perpindicular to road, car as best I can guess slid completely into grass striking cement highway lamp.
3. My stature is 5'7" 185 w/ 33" waist, point being thick & pretty muscled through chest & shoulders & given height low in seat. Pole struck veh., guessing 90* right at gas filler. Broad shoulders mahe contact w/ door & elbow on armrest hand at wheel. Point, body is already in contact w/ inner door panel in normal seated pos.
4. Force of impact caused main mass (chest & shoulders) to strike door w/ sufficient force to rip lock latch of fiberglass door jamb. BTW, newer models have a heavy internal latch seen on vrtually all cars. Front hinges gave way as well.
5. Simultaneously neck whiplashed, head striking window which disintergrated as auto glass does.
6. Forward momentum caused veh. to semi right itself in initial direction and come to rest 30-40 ft, from pole still in median.
7. Car total loss. Have both auto & health insurnace. Slow to recover accident took place 2/15.
I'm simply trying to ascertain if the airbag should have deployed, cannot say definitively, but given airbag proximatey & injuries, intuitively one wouls think injuries may been lessoned/avoided.
I feel this is a question worth asking. Tramatic brain injuries don't heal, they are managed, neck injury may be possibly corrected surgically.
So that's it in a nutshell. I'm am awre of the legal route, but honestly I am trying to educate myself on the SRS for now to understand what happened. My injuries are permenant and treatment on-going, so I have no idea where I'll be in 6 weeks, 6 mos., 6 years.
Feel free to respond w/ questions specific to the accident. Please no more wudda, cudda, shudda, or judgemental replies. I seeking facts thats all. Thanks to all who have passed on well wishes and insightful info.
I'm gathering from your most recent comments, three important details. The first being the point of impact was at the B-pillar. The second being that the door was ripped open by your body from the inside. The third being that the car continued forward after the impact.
Now I'm only speculating here, so don't take this as gospel. With the point of contact being behind the door, the internal door sensor that requires a direct force from the outside was not able to sense any external pressure. Additionally, when your body provided pressure from inside the car which was sufficient to break open the door, it was in the exact opposite direction that the sensor is designed to operate. Futhermore, the contact was not likely to be exactly perpendicular to the car, as the car continued some forward motion. That slight angle possibly lessened the force that was needed by the cars internal sensor, even if the door sensor would have been activated.
The fact that you were already up tight against the door prior to the impact was most likely a good thing, as you otherwise would have had an additional impact with the door prior to the force required to break the latch.
Another point of view for you to mull over is what might have happened if the airbag did deploy. If your body was already in contact with the door and your head started to move left when the airbag deployed, your seatbelt would have tightened (that occurs during deployment) and the force of the airbag could have easily spun your head the opposite direction and snapped your neck. So it's entirely possible, given the set of circumstances, that an airbag deployment could have killed you.
Gonig to your question points, I can't answer #1. For number 2, the passenger seat has a sensor set for 40 pounds, but there is no weight sensor for the driver's seat as the expectation is that the driver is an adult.
I believe I answered number 3 previously and indicated it requires 3 independent processes to match in order to activate an airbag.
Although, you still need to find answers to satisfy your quest, I wouldn't be placing big money bets on a system failure.
I truly hope you continue to physically improve. You've had a life-changing event and survived. Be happy that you're still able to visit friends on the forum. Maybe a new Vette in the future too.
