allroad.. accident.. airbag

CarmG993 · 07-30-2004, 04:48 PM

Well wife was driving home in her allroad, the traffic stopped, car in front stopped, wife stopped, and the car behind my wife stopped. Well the woman 2 cars behind didn't. Sent the car behind my wife plowing into the back of the allroad, then the allroad into the truck in front of her. First off, the car, though pretty banged up, doesn't look too too bad. Yes the rear bumper is banged up, hatch is caved in stuck (glass didn't break - odd), and I think there might be some frame damage, because there are no more gaps where the back doors meet the body. The front is pushed in, bumper crooked, but no body damage. The car was a tank. The allroad and the utility truck that she hit, drove away.
My question and concern is, the air bag never went off, it was the first thing the police noticed also. My wife is tiny, and the impact was strong enough to loosen the front seat to where it rocks back and forth.
Wife is OK, sorry should have mentioned that at the beginning, just going to take her to ER just to be safe.
I called Audi to make them aware that the air bag didn't go off, and that I want the car inspected.
Drive Safe !

mk4=audi? · 07-30-2004, 05:06 PM

And you were right... first thing is that she is ok.

The car is probably much more damaged than you think, though, if the gaps for the rear doors are gone.

The seat rocking is an indicator that the car performed as it was designed in the accident. The airbags would have only caused her damage had they deployed, as there was little kinetic energy for the car to dissipate, it was just the meat of a big, moving metal sandwich...

Rally_nutcase_1982 · 07-30-2004, 06:56 PM

..the car modules (Bumper, Frame, Body) absorbed most of the energy so that the Airbag would have done more damage then good. Maybe you can ask Audi about the minimum force required to initiate the Airbag, that should be helpful.

mowog · 07-31-2004, 06:09 AM

with a seat-belt on I think bag deploys at higher threshold and as stated earlier car was not moving. My thought are that if you can walk away from an accident and the AB didn't deploy you're better off. Glad your wife is OK- car is probably worse than it looks. Years ago in an accident the car looked OK but the people inside were dead! Now the car looks terrible like nobody could have survived but the passenges hop out and are OK. There have been post of Audi accident pics that just amaze me with how bad the car looks and the minimal injury to the occupants.

CTallroad · 07-31-2004, 11:21 AM

Troy H · 07-31-2004, 10:07 PM

is damaged. If anything it means the energy of impact was transferred to the skin of the car as it was designed. The way you describe the accident, my bet is all damage is cosmetic.

07-30-2004, 05:06 PM	#2
mk4=audi? AudiWorld Member Garage is empty, add now Join Date: May 2004 Posts: 513	If the allroad was stopped, the airbags should not have gone off... And you were right... first thing is that she is ok. The car is probably much more damaged than you think, though, if the gaps for the rear doors are gone. The seat rocking is an indicator that the car performed as it was designed in the accident. The airbags would have only caused her damage had they deployed, as there was little kinetic energy for the car to dissipate, it was just the meat of a big, moving metal sandwich...

07-30-2004, 06:56 PM	#3
Rally_nutcase_1982 Senior Member Garage is empty, add now Join Date: Aug 2001 Posts: 7,956	Most important - your wife is O.K...and it requires some speed/ impact force to trigger the AB's ..the car modules (Bumper, Frame, Body) absorbed most of the energy so that the Airbag would have done more damage then good. Maybe you can ask Audi about the minimum force required to initiate the Airbag, that should be helpful. __________________ Every good driver has bugs stuck to his door windows - do it sideways ;-) Visit us @www.motoring-foundation.com or the ACNA-NJ Chapter

07-31-2004, 06:09 AM	#4
mowog AudiWorld Senior Member Garage is empty, add now Join Date: Jun 2000 Posts: 1,390	Probably good AB didn't deploy- specific paramaters weren't met to deploy.. with a seat-belt on I think bag deploys at higher threshold and as stated earlier car was not moving. My thought are that if you can walk away from an accident and the AB didn't deploy you're better off. Glad your wife is OK- car is probably worse than it looks. Years ago in an accident the car looked OK but the people inside were dead! Now the car looks terrible like nobody could have survived but the passenges hop out and are OK. There have been post of Audi accident pics that just amaze me with how bad the car looks and the minimal injury to the occupants. __________________ .........Bob Skillman.....Ellicott City, MD...... 01 225TTR......... 04 AR 4.2............

07-31-2004, 11:21 AM	#5
CTallroad AudiWorld Member Garage is empty, add now Join Date: Dec 2003 Posts: 423	Yup - air bags can't do anything for a rear-ender like this one

07-31-2004, 10:07 PM	#6
Troy H AudiWorld Super User Garage is empty, add now Join Date: Mar 2000 Posts: 13,491	The panel gaps between rear quarter panels and rear doors being closed does NOT mean the frame is damaged. If anything it means the energy of impact was transferred to the skin of the car as it was designed. The way you describe the accident, my bet is all damage is cosmetic. __________________ "However I do realize that a woman, particularly one with whom you have exchanged marriage vows, can not be reasoned with using logic, examples, data, or any other means except to agree." - RMcQ "Any car that merely takes you from A to B does not go far enough." - August Horch Want to see my skills of an artist? I make detailing fun! Klicken Sie hier für meine Detailing FAQ: 2.0Tq DSG/Prestige/S-Line/MagRide/Heated Seats:

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