Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
OK, I was driving home from work in a neighboring town the other night. It was foggy, I was doing somehwhere around 55, following the fog line, when a cow came into the road from the shoulder. An Angus (of course) black and I could not see it till it moved into my travel lane. I had under 60 feet to stop, I couldn't. I pulled the wheel to the left, got into the brakes, and hit the critter square in the front quarters, crunching the front end. When I came to, I was upside down, off the embankment on the other side of the road facing the opposite direction. I had my belt on, and thats what saved me. The bags did not deploy. If they had, it would have saved me some stitches and a concussion. The car was an 03 Toyota Echo (not much of a match for a 1000 pound cow) equipped with driver and passenger air bags, neither of which deployed. When we bought the car the dealer told us a 12 inch crunch would deploy the bags (which I was considerably over) and that if the car flipped, they would also deploy (which I also did). I am seriously glad I had my belt on, and did not rely on the bags. I would be quite dead had I done so. Has anyone heard of Toyota having problems with their air bags? The insurance company is going to do a diagnostic from what they tell me, as they aren't really thrilled about having to eat my medical bill, which could have been avoided had the bags worked. A couple friends have told me Toyota has had trouble with their air bags, but I have not found any info on line, and have never recieved a recall or safety notice from Toyota. Anybody have any info? Thanks.
Not sure about the frontal impact force, but a rollover would not deploy the front airbags. Side and side-curtain airbags may deploy in vehicles, primarily SUV's, equipped with Electronic Roll Mitigation. The Echo did not have that feature.
Not sure about the frontal impact force, but a rollover would not deploy the front airbags. Side and side-curtain airbags may deploy in vehicles, primarily SUV's, equipped with Electronic Roll Mitigation. The Echo did not have that feature.
Yea, the rollover thing did not seem right, so that is no biggy, but I flat smashed the front end. LMAO, but, the way my luck has been running nothing surprises me. It will all get figgered I'm thinking. I'll let the insurance deal with that fight. They have more time , and money , than I do. In the mean time, I will go back to driving my Dakota. It's not as good on gas, but I'm left with little option at the moment. My wife is bummed, it was her car. I liked the little bugger too, it got like 36 MPG, and just flat ran great. Great commuter rig.
Deployment of the airbags is related to the impact, not the damage sustained to the vehicle. The frontal impact wasn't severe enough to trigger the airbags. Also it's unlikely that even if they did deploy, they would have helped you avoid an unfortunate head injury, which probably came from the rollover (contact with roof or B pillar). I'm sure the front end was smashed, but the front end is easily smash-able by design, to reduce the loads on the occupants of the car.
The pyrotechnic seatbelts may have assisted you in staying put in the seat a bit better. They use a small explosive charge to tighten the seatbelt in a fraction of a second, when a collision occurs, and deploy with the airbags. This prevents occupant movement. It's hard to say whether the seat belt would or would not have done a better job if it was any tighter.
There are some more advanced features of newer airbags, related to rollovers (already noted), but those features are related to the side and rollover protection from the side curtain and side impact airbags in vehicles so equipped. Front airbags definitely could deploy in a rollover accident, if the deceleration of the vehicle was severe enough to trigger them, at some point during the accident sequence (or an impact sensor was hit sharply by another part of the vehicle as it deformed, which I have seen before). It's not unusual to see post-accident vehicles with minor damage and deployed airbags, nor is it unusual to see vehicles with extensive damage, and good airbags.
It's good that you weren't injured seriously, anyway!
Deployment of the airbags is related to the impact, not the damage sustained to the vehicle. The frontal impact wasn't severe enough to trigger the airbags. Also it's unlikely that even if they did deploy, they would have helped you avoid an unfortunate head injury, which probably came from the rollover (contact with roof or B pillar). I'm sure the front end was smashed, but the front end is easily smash-able by design, to reduce the loads on the occupants of the car.
The pyrotechnic seatbelts may have assisted you in staying put in the seat a bit better. They use a small explosive charge to tighten the seatbelt in a fraction of a second, when a collision occurs, and deploy with the airbags. This prevents occupant movement. It's hard to say whether the seat belt would or would not have done a better job if it was any tighter.
There are some more advanced features of newer airbags, related to rollovers (already noted), but those features are related to the side and rollover protection from the side curtain and side impact airbags in vehicles so equipped. Front airbags definitely could deploy in a rollover accident, if the deceleration of the vehicle was severe enough to trigger them, at some point during the accident sequence (or an impact sensor was hit sharply by another part of the vehicle as it deformed, which I have seen before). It's not unusual to see post-accident vehicles with minor damage and deployed airbags, nor is it unusual to see vehicles with extensive damage, and good airbags.
It's good that you weren't injured seriously, anyway!
Oh, I could have come out of this a LOT worse, thats for sure. The impact was enough to knock me cold (I don't know how long I was actually out) Like I said, this was a half ton critter. The HP told me the impact with the cow was what spun me around. Cattle are remarkably stout animals, and the Echo is not exactly a 68 Caddy Fleetwood or Chrysler Imperial level automobile. I was rather surprised the bags did not deploy. I may as well have run the thing into a brick wall for all the give that beef critter had. HP said they have been trying to get the guy to round his cattle up and get them back behind the BLM fence, and were planning on putting up the big flashing road signs to warn folks there are cattle out, but had (obviously) not done it yet. I still bought myself a cow, since we are under open range law. . I figger the guy is running his cattle to auction the easy way. Let em' get on the road, they can't make him push them back onto the BLM, let a few get greased and collect the dough. Geeze man, get on a horse and go get your cattle why dontcha. Oh well, thats why we have insurance I guess. S*** happens. We are now a three pickup family. A 00 Dakota, 99 F350, and a 75 F250. I will miss the Echo for commuting. Saved me a bundle on gas.
Deployment of the airbags is related to the impact, not the damage sustained to the vehicle. The frontal impact wasn't severe enough to trigger the airbags. Also it's unlikely that even if they did deploy, they would have helped you avoid an unfortunate head injury, which probably came from the rollover (contact with roof or B pillar). I'm sure the front end was smashed, but the front end is easily smash-able by design, to reduce the loads on the occupants of the car.
The pyrotechnic seatbelts may have assisted you in staying put in the seat a bit better. They use a small explosive charge to tighten the seatbelt in a fraction of a second, when a collision occurs, and deploy with the airbags. This prevents occupant movement. It's hard to say whether the seat belt would or would not have done a better job if it was any tighter.
There are some more advanced features of newer airbags, related to rollovers (already noted), but those features are related to the side and rollover protection from the side curtain and side impact airbags in vehicles so equipped. Front airbags definitely could deploy in a rollover accident, if the deceleration of the vehicle was severe enough to trigger them, at some point during the accident sequence (or an impact sensor was hit sharply by another part of the vehicle as it deformed, which I have seen before). It's not unusual to see post-accident vehicles with minor damage and deployed airbags, nor is it unusual to see vehicles with extensive damage, and good airbags.
It's good that you weren't injured seriously, anyway!
Then, using your method of reasoning, ANY airbag could deploy in any type of accident. But generally, frontal airbags will NOT deply in a typical rollover accident.
Then, using your method of reasoning, ANY airbag could deploy in any type of accident. But generally, frontal airbags will NOT deply in a typical rollover accident.
It's not my method of reasoning, it's how the system works. If commanded, an airbag, or airbags, deploy. The deployment may or may not coincide with the driver's expectations, based on their recollection of the events, or the physical damage observed.
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
I liked the little bugger too, it got like 36 MPG, and just flat ran great. Great commuter rig.
. I figger the guy is running his cattle to auction the easy way. Let em' get on the road, they can't make him push them back onto the BLM, let a few get greased and collect the dough. Geeze man, get on a horse and go get your cattle why dontcha. Oh well, thats why we have insurance I guess. S*** happens. We are now a three pickup family. A 00 Dakota, 99 F350, and a 75 F250. I will miss the Echo for commuting. Saved me a bundle on gas. 
