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Re: Airbags

>Jerome Soh <soh@domain.elided> writes:
>>Similarly, if you wear your seat belt and shoulder belt, why do you=20
>>need an exploding steering wheel or dashboard so you can't see where=20
>>you're going?
>
>You have missed an important point.  The airbag won't go off until at =
>least the first foot and a half of your car is crushed in. By that time, =
>seeing where you are going and trying to steer aren't going to make much =
>difference!
>
>Derek (92 525i E34 BMW CCA, 73 914 2.0 PCA, Atlanta GA)

Unless of course you happen to be driving an L6 or other late US 6'er.
They have been proven to detonate while fording potholes, to the extent
that they were mostly recalled and replaced with airbag-less steering
wheels.  And let's not forget NHTSA's proposal for "smart airbag"
regulations as a response to the deaths of 22 children blamed on passenger
airbag inflation.  The reality is the occurance is primarily in unbelted
children and infants in rear facing car seats in the front passenger
position, but of course the airbag is blamed.  Even pick-up trucks will be
required to have two airbags by MY 1998.  When was the last time you saw a
pick-up truck with the entire family *standing* on the front seat?  Down
here (VA) one goes by every 5 mins, and more frequently if you're near the
WalMart on payday.

Check out the lovely gathered leather door panels on the new E39 5'er.
"Airbag" embossed into the leather warning of impending explosion from the
door panel.  Sure hope they have a better through-the-door wiring system
than the E21 had.  If they can't keep the mirror and door lock wires from
breaking, what's to keep the air bag from deploying?  Makes you kind of
squeemish particularly remembering the story of one list-member's
experience with the smoldering door lock unit on an E39!

- -Phil Marx BMWCCA #6021 (2002's were not meant to have anything electric in
the
                      doors, in spite of what My320i@aol wants you to believe.)