What Causes Airbags Not to Deploy?
2 Answers
Airbags may not deploy because the conditions for airbag deployment are not met. Necessary conditions for airbag deployment: 1. Vehicle speed is generally above 50 km/h, but the key factor is the acceleration at the moment of collision. In national certification tests, the instantaneous acceleration during collision is approximately -40g. 2. Frontal impact: The angle of impact must be within approximately 60° from the front. 3. Collision object: Rigid walls or obstacles. Airbags will not deploy when a car collides with soft objects at 80 km/h. 4. Deployment time: Within tens of milliseconds after the collision occurs.
I remember my friend's car was in a minor accident once, and the airbags didn't deploy, which was really scary. He later looked into it and found there were quite a few reasons. The most common one is sensor failure—the part that detects collisions might be covered in dust or malfunctioning. Or it could be an electrical issue, like loose wiring or a blown fuse, preventing the signal from getting through. There's an airbag warning light on the dashboard; if it's on, don't ignore it. Another possibility is a problem with the airbag module itself—if the control unit is faulty, nothing will work. Also, some cars have a passenger detection system, and if it mistakenly thinks no one is sitting there, the airbag won't activate. My advice is, if there's an issue, first check if the dashboard light is on, then get it diagnosed by a professional shop as soon as possible, because this is a matter of life safety—don't delay.
