RE: Airbags and Babies don't Mix
Wednesday 15th January 2003
Airbags and Babies don't Mix
We won't turn off your passenger airbag says Lex Leasing
Discussion
Even my MX-5's got a key to disable the passenger airbag, and it's hardly baby friendly! The manual goes so far as to recommend it's disabled when there's no passenger - I can never be bothered, so I'm hoping they recommend it to prevent both airbags needing replacement in a crash. Can anyone think of a good reason I should disable the passenger's one when the seat's empty?
Dan
Dan
"Lex is only aware of one car; the Audi A8, that allows the driver to disconnect the airbag manually. All other cars involve a visit to the dealer"
Not true, the passenger airbag on my Audi A3 can be turned off using a key-operated switch in the glove box.
If Lex are going to take a strong position they should at least get their facts right!
Not true, the passenger airbag on my Audi A3 can be turned off using a key-operated switch in the glove box.
If Lex are going to take a strong position they should at least get their facts right!
In most Mercedes saloons now the airbag can only be switched off by using a special Mercedes car seat with a transponder. When the seat is fitted a light comes on stating that the airbag is switched off.
The plus side of this is that the airbag is always on with an adult in the seat and always off with a correctly fitted baby seat.
The negative side is that you have to buy a Mercedes car seat at fairly extravagant prices - one for 0-9 months, another for 9-18 then another after that.
So some people may just put a normal child seat there and take the risk. Which defeats the object of the whole exercise.
Why oh why couldn't they just fit a switch like everyone else? And if for any reason the transponder stopped working it is extremely unlikely that you'd notice the 'Air Bag Off' light hadn't come on.
The plus side of this is that the airbag is always on with an adult in the seat and always off with a correctly fitted baby seat.
The negative side is that you have to buy a Mercedes car seat at fairly extravagant prices - one for 0-9 months, another for 9-18 then another after that.
So some people may just put a normal child seat there and take the risk. Which defeats the object of the whole exercise.
Why oh why couldn't they just fit a switch like everyone else? And if for any reason the transponder stopped working it is extremely unlikely that you'd notice the 'Air Bag Off' light hadn't come on.
Lex is only aware of one car; the Audi A8, that allows the driver to disconnect the airbag manually.
My new X-type has a passenger seat sensor that only activates the passenger airbag if it is occupied (weight based I believe).
However - regardless of capability, I cannot fathom a viable reason for carting a sprog around in the front seat in the first place. Put them in the back, or leave them with a sitter.
ErnestM
kevinday said: DanL, perhaps the noise? When an airbag goes off it is very loud (so I'm told) and may lead to tinitus or partial hearing loss.
Really? Yikes. Mind you, if I should crash I'd rather have a loud bang than smack into the steering wheel. I can't believe that two going off would be that much worse than one though, so I won't bother turning the thing off...
Dan
Lex's idea is all well and good but how many accidents have been caused by the driver looking over his or her shoulder trying to see what the little cherub is up to in the back?
Having played this game once before, there's no way I'd want a car where I couldn't put the child seat next to me! I'm also a little worried about the idea of "turning off" and airbag. I mean, all you're doing (you hope) is preventing the trigger signal from reaching the detonator. You're still driving round with an explosive charge behind the dash. In fact, I'm not at all convinced that front airbags are alltogether that good an idea. With the current level of technology, there have been a few cases of serious injury to small front seat occupants (grown-ups this time!) because they're designed to stop a big (ish) bloke in an impact. What really gets me is that if things go on as they are, I won't have the choice soon. The fashion is for more and more cars to be fitted with them and if I try to take the explosive bit out of my car I'll have my insurers just rubbing their hands together knowing that it's a damned good excuse not to pay up!
Having played this game once before, there's no way I'd want a car where I couldn't put the child seat next to me! I'm also a little worried about the idea of "turning off" and airbag. I mean, all you're doing (you hope) is preventing the trigger signal from reaching the detonator. You're still driving round with an explosive charge behind the dash. In fact, I'm not at all convinced that front airbags are alltogether that good an idea. With the current level of technology, there have been a few cases of serious injury to small front seat occupants (grown-ups this time!) because they're designed to stop a big (ish) bloke in an impact. What really gets me is that if things go on as they are, I won't have the choice soon. The fashion is for more and more cars to be fitted with them and if I try to take the explosive bit out of my car I'll have my insurers just rubbing their hands together knowing that it's a damned good excuse not to pay up!
Aye, fair comment.
As an aside, When I was a toddler, I'm told I covered many a happy mile sat on my 18 stone dad's lap while he was driving - "helping him". This was back in the 60s when many cars didn't have seat belts (certainly theirs didn't)! Just doesn't bear thinking about !!!!
As an aside, When I was a toddler, I'm told I covered many a happy mile sat on my 18 stone dad's lap while he was driving - "helping him". This was back in the 60s when many cars didn't have seat belts (certainly theirs didn't)! Just doesn't bear thinking about !!!!
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