Airbag poisons driver
Freak accident reveals the toxic chemicals lurking in your dashboard
He survived the crash, but died in January 2011 after being taken to the hospital complaining of shortness of breath. The cause of death was bronchial pneumonia, with the forensic pathologist saying his lungs showed signs of infection.
Coroner Terence Carneyblamed the airbag. “This man died as a result of this incident and more pointedly because of the explosion of his airbag.”
So what’s in an airbag that makes it so toxic? His widow June told the Daily Record that Smith had been shocked by the amount of white powder released by the bag. “He said there was so much of it he couldn’t see,” she said.
Airbags rapidly inflate with gas created by igniting a chemical called sodium azide. About a handful this white crystalline powder is needed to inflate a big airbag, and is extremely toxic.
So toxic that the effects of ingesting it have been compared to cyanide. In a book by US crime writer JA Jance, the murderer rips apart cars in a scrap yard to get the killer substance, which is also used to make pesticide.
We asked UK automotive safety organisation Thatcham about the potential problems airbag chemicals could inflict. Miniscule, they reckoned. “The danger of inhalation is extremely small,” said a spokesman.
They did say however that the chemical originally used before this, nitrocellulose, was even more toxic and also highly flammable.
Smith was about as unlucky as you can get, but with up to nine airbags fitted to newer cars, it makes you wonder just how much of this deadly stuff we transport on a daily basis.
On a side note, I remember the airbag system on my old Fiat Coupe had a life of 12 years after which you were supposed to replace them. Is this a side effect of age or was it a newish car this poor chap was driving?
Presumably now it's happened once there will be more of an awareness of the potential for this from emergency crews and medical staff, assuming there's a treatment for exposure.
It's a foam pellet generator, similar to the packing variety found in boxes. Outlets are positioned throughout the vehicle and expanded polystyrene (EPS) pellets are generated at a rate of 4 sq.m. per second upto 3 seconds with the first pellet generated, I believe, in 1/20th of a second.
Unlike airbags, it contains no poisonous substances and prevents injuries in rollovers and "long time" accidents (the EPS beads create a permanent protective barrier).
Sneaky mobile photo:
It's a foam pellet generator, similar to the packing variety found in boxes. Outlets are positioned throughout the vehicle and expanded polystyrene (EPS) pellets are generated at a rate of 4 sq.m. per second upto 3 seconds with the first pellet generated, I believe, in 1/20th of a second.
Unlike airbags, it contains no poisonous substances and prevents accidents in rollovers and "long time" accidents (the EPS beads create a permanent protective barrier).
Sneaky mobile photo:
It's a foam pellet generator, similar to the packing variety found in boxes. Outlets are positioned throughout the vehicle and expanded polystyrene (EPS) pellets are generated at a rate of 4 sq.m. per second upto 3 seconds with the first pellet generated, I believe, in 1/20th of a second.
Unlike airbags, it contains no poisonous substances and prevents accidents in rollovers and "long time" accidents (the EPS beads create a permanent protective barrier).
Sneaky mobile photo:
ETA - Judging bt the fact that it's a Range Rover in the shot, I'm also guessing it's a joke
It's a foam pellet generator, similar to the packing variety found in boxes. Outlets are positioned throughout the vehicle and expanded polystyrene (EPS) pellets are generated at a rate of 4 sq.m. per second upto 3 seconds with the first pellet generated, I believe, in 1/20th of a second.
Unlike airbags, it contains no poisonous substances and prevents injuries in rollovers and "long time" accidents (the EPS beads create a permanent protective barrier).
Sneaky mobile photo:
It is worrying, but then this does appear to be an isolated case. And in addition it is worth noting the story does not state whether the victim had a previous underlying condition that may have been a contributing factor. Just a thought.
I'm not a medic, but I don't think death by pneumonia two months after exposure is consistent with azide poisoning - it sounds more consistent with aspiration pneumonia from inhaling talc.
It's a foam pellet generator, similar to the packing variety found in boxes. Outlets are positioned throughout the vehicle and expanded polystyrene (EPS) pellets are generated at a rate of 4 sq.m. per second upto 3 seconds with the first pellet generated, I believe, in 1/20th of a second.
Unlike airbags, it contains no poisonous substances and prevents injuries in rollovers and "long time" accidents (the EPS beads create a permanent protective barrier).
Sneaky mobile photo:
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