Are the optional airbags worth it ?

[avenno2g7]

I know safety is always the best, but are these extra airbags really worth it??? Im not sure if im gonna get them, everyday I think a different way, some days its yes definatly gonna get them, others its, nah not worth it. I just dont know

[swng]

Well, I personally think that the best types of safety are active safety and defensive driving. However, when accidents happen, small cars had better be equipped with as many air bags as technology allows. As the trend is for cars to have more air bags, until better safety technology appears, a car with side and curtain or even knee air bags may attract a higher resale price when it is put up for sale or trade in. Also, air bags may help to keep insurance rates down. On the other hand, cost is a factor to be considered. Obviously, a car that is meant to be inexpensive cannot have too many air bags. However, Toyota is never meant to be cheap. It is quite an upscale import and thus should be better equipped than the "competition" and that is the reason why I speculate that future Yaris models may well come with more air bags. If I am right, may be it is worthwhile to insist on a Yaris with sufficient air bags, that is of course, if you have not yet ordered one, in order not to get outdated too soon. This is my humble opinion and I respect that other members may have different views.

[VitzBoy]

I completely agree with swng. Especially in north america where SUV's are driven by soccer moms applying makeup and talking on cellphones, you should have the proper protection if you're in a subcompact.

[p2filz]

if you love the people in your car!!!

[why?]

Airbags have killed and injured more people then they have saved. Unless you are 6' tall and weigh 180 lbs odds are an airbag will injure you.

[foober]

I still can't figure out why folks need anything more than a seatbelt. What they need are air bags on the outside of the car to cushion the blow by a crazy soccer moms driving into you..

[swng]

In defence of the air bags that defend us, I wish to point out that people can get injured by deploying air bags when e.g.:

a. they do not sit properly in their seats,
b. they(such as infants) are put in seats(such as the front passenger seat)
where they should not be put,
c. they do not wear seat belts,
d. they sit too closely to the steering wheel when they drive,
e. they put their hands on the wrong positions of the steering wheel, and
f. they do not read the warnings posted in their cars in relation to the existence of air bags. Warnings are sometimes put on the back of the sun visors, together with other warnings.

I would also point out that nowadays, air bags are designed differently than years ago. Some air bags will not deploy when sensors detect that underweight passengers are in the seats. Also, in case of a not so serious crash, some air bags will either not deploy or deploy with less force. In case there are both front and side/curtain air bags, only the ones that need to deploy, depending on how the crash occurs, will actually deploy. However, not all cars with air bags have adopted all these new designs. Still, hopefully, air bags will injure less people and save more lives with their updated designs.

Having said the above, I respect that it is a personal choice whether to order optional air bags.

[why?]

They still have never been proven. Seatbelts are plenty enough protection.

Not to mention most of the things you listed are personal preference, and tell me why someone should change their driving habits because the government forced airbags on them?

Next your going to tell me the government should be able to run everything else about their citizen's life.

[Ziv]

They still have never been proven. Seatbelts are plenty enough protection.

Not to mention most of the things you listed are personal preference, and tell me why someone should change their driving habits because the government forced airbags on them?

Next your going to tell me the government should be able to run everything else about their citizen's life.

Strike. ha ha. As I have mentioned on another post, I do agree on we should have a choice on deciding what we wanted to do. We should have a choice to say either we wanted it or not.

As for if it's a good idea to have, it's all about personal preference. For myself, I would prefer no airbags.

Strange as it seems, I like my car pretty plain. No ABS, EBD, AirBags. Just gimme what you have in stock (Like a CE) and I'll decide what to put in there. ha ha.

[corey415]

Airbags have killed and injured more people then they have saved. Unless you are 6' tall and weigh 180 lbs odds are an airbag will injure you.


Dude, its ok to voice your opinion but what you are saying is total BS...

"Since 1990, 105 deaths have been reported. A majority of these deaths were children improperly placed in the front seat, with their head directed towards the deploying airbag (it fills with air instantly). Most of the other deaths have been attributed to improper seatbelt use or lack thereof altogether."

"More than 2,920 people owe their lives to airbags. Driver deaths have been reduced by 14%; passenger deaths reduced by 11%. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, when combined with the proper use of a seatbelt, reduces the risk for serious head injuries by 75% (seatbelts alone have a 38% risk)."
http://www.4insurance.com/auto/airbags.asp

And this is just for front airbags. Check this out about side airbags...

"National Highway Traffic Safety Administration data shows that driver-side airbags are reducing deaths by about 14 percent, while passenger-side airbags are cutting deaths by about 11 percent"
http://www.thecarconnection.com/Shoppers/Driving_Tips/TCC_Tip_Inflating_Your_Chances.S172.A5027.html

I dont have it offhand, but I have read that side curtain airbags can reduce death in side collisions by up to 45%..

Bottom line, if you are in a collision with another vehicle, airbags are beneficial.

[why?]

So you take statistics from the people who want airbags to be forced onto citizens and expect their statistics to not be slanted?

105 people were killed because government morons forced airbags onto its citizens.

You cannot prove that airbags have saved anyone, especially if those people were also wearing seatbelts.

when combined with the proper use of a seatbelt Was the MAJOR qualifier that the NHTSA used.

You know what that means? It means the NHTSA does not know if airbags have saved anyone.

*Note: Airbags do not work alone!

Another MAJOR qualifier on that site. :laugh:

Note also that website gives NO sources or studies for its data. Why should I believe an Insurance company? Especially one on the web?

Notice how every source that mentions airbags also mentions that seatbelts must be on?

Seems to me seatbelts are the things saving lives.

Oh, and airbags have only been mandated by governing fools since 1998. That is only 9 years. Any scientist will tell you there is not enough data yet to tell if airbags do anything.

And any scientist will also tell you advances in metals, body structures, crumple zones, etc, etc, etc, will also have a major impact on what happens to a person in an accident.

The bottom line is that we KNOW airbags have murdered 105 people in the USA. Yet why aren't the government officials who are responsible brought to trial for these murders?

No one can tell you IF any lives have been saved with airbags.

[corey415]

...
...

No one can tell you IF any lives have been saved with airbags.

It really isn't that hard to determine whether or not airbags are effective.
(1) Crash test the car.
(2) Crash test the same car but with side and side curtain airbags.

The crash data consistently shows that with the extra airbags, the car receives a better side impact result score.

03-06 Corolla - Side impact improves from poor to average when side/side curtain airbags are added:
http://www.iihs.org/ratings/ratingsbyseries.aspx?id=305

02-06 CR-V - Side impact improves from medium to good when side/side curtain airbags are added.
http://www.iihs.org/ratings/ratingsbyseries.aspx?id=307

I am confident the same would apply to frontal impact if they tested the same car with/without front airbags. Luckily no one makes a car w/o front airbags anymore...

Or is the IIHS biased? Are they trying to sell their agenda to us?
PLEASE...

[why?]

Of course they are biased. ALL humans are biased.

Here is the other problem, they are not giving an objective scale of how safe the vehicles are, they are comparing vehicles to each other.

So there ratings do not tell how likely a person is to die in a specific car.

BTW, unless you are testing with real human beings, and we know no one would do that, a test is not going to simulate what would happen to real human beings.

Subjective ratings don't cut it when the question is if airbags really work. They only way to tell that is with hard real world data. And there is not enough of that yet to make a sound judgement.

On the other hand, we know airbags have murdered many people around the world.

Sounds like a good reason to not make everyone have to have them.

[vicpai]

....is simply amazing and astounding!!

For starters we are talking here about the optional combination HEAD PROTECTING SIDE CURTAIN AIRBAGS and SIDE AIRBAGS for the Torso!!! Frontal airbags are a STANDARD feature in virtually all vehicles sold today.

For those that are clueless, a Seatbelt CANNOT, and is not designed to protect you in a SIDE IMPACT :rolleyes:

Secondly, there is no CRUMPLE ZONE on the side structure of a vehicle!! In a frontal impact the hood and engine compartment acts as the crush zone, effectively crumpling and absorbing the kinetic energy that is generated from the impact of the collision (in laymen terms, this can be portrayed as a "cushioning effect"). The actual passenger compartment/cabin needs to be as strong as possible to avoid deformation. In a side impact collision, there is virtually nothing between you and the striking vehicle!!. Besides this, the side structure is simply not strong enough to withstand the entire weight of the striking vehicle.....so your only defense in a situation such as this is AN AIRBAG THAT DEPLOYS AND PROTECTS YOUR HEAD/TORSO from the intruding hood/bumper of the vehicle that strikes you (especially, if it's that HIGH-RIDING 5000lb SUV!!) .....Without this crucial airbag, if you're struck on the side by an SUV, DEATH IS CERTAIN regardless of the speed of offending vehicle....In a scenario such as this (a Yaris being struck on the side by an SUV), I'm not saying that you will always be able to avoid injury even with the airbag, but it may mean the difference between LIFE AND DEATH, and in a lower speed impact it may also mean the difference between being seriously or fatally injured and not. For those that think all of this is a whole lot of mumbo jumbo go to the website mentioned below and see how vehicles fared WITH AND WITHOUT SIDE CURTAINS (I've used the RAV4's side crash test results as an example because they tested it both with and without side airbags - click on the links to see the results WITH airbags). The same vehicle received a "POOR" rating without and a "GOOD" rating at the opposite extreme end of the scale, equipped WITH them.

http://www.iihs.org/ratings/rating.aspx?id=278

And Finally, remember that, while an accident involving a frontal impact can be "controlled" or "avoided" to some extent, there is virtually NOTHING you can do, to control REAR IMPACTS and SIDE IMPACTS in some situations. Consider the following example of the accident I was involved in a couple years back, with my 2003 Toyota Corolla:

I was stopped at a RED traffic light. All of a sudden I look in my rear view mirror, and see this car closing in on me at an unbelievable speed, and before I could think "there is no way that guy is going to stop without hitting me", there was a loud crash. I was rammed in the rear, by a STONE-DRUNK driver, at 40mph. The impact was so great that I was pushed clear accross the intersection and waay past it. LUCKILY it was 11pm and traffic was very light, and there was no CROSS-TRAFFIC. Otherwise, a vehicle in cross traffic (which had the green light) travelling 40mph or more, could have struck me on the side when I was pushed due to the impact, and I probably wouldn't be alive today to tell this tale. Even though my Corolla was equipped with the optional Side airbags, "Head protecting side curtains" were not yet available on this model. So the hood of the intruding vehicle (especially if it was an SUV) would have crushed my head to smitherines, killing me instantly!!...Does anyone in their right mind think a seatbelt would have helped me in a situation like this?? :rolleyes:

So there you go, Side curtains should be STANDARD equipment. IMO, they are FAR MORE important than even FRONTAL airbags!!

[vicpai]

Airbags have killed and injured more people then they have saved. Unless you are 6' tall and weigh 180 lbs odds are an airbag will injure you.


.....of the statistics that prove your ridiculous claim!!....and I'd also like to know what qualifications you possess to make these outlandish statements :rolleyes:

[why?]

Front airbags should not be standard. They only are because moron governments make them mandatory by law.

Actually, you are wrong. A seatbelt can protect you in any crash if you are wearing it. Many people that get hit on the side that are not wearing seatbelts get injured much more then if they were wearing them.

You are wrong again. The sides of vehicles are heavily reinforced so they can take the entire impact of a vehicle. Also, if you have ever watched a vehicle run right into the side of another one you will notice that the entire vehicle is pushed. This is the way cars were designed so that occupants are protected from all accidents.

You should learn what you are talking about. You actually have a better chance of surviving being hit on the side directly because the car will move sideways MUCH easier than it can move backwards if you are hit head on.

Again, you are using subjective ratings. What does a poor rating mean? Does it mean the occupant is guaranteed to die, or just that the vehicle did worse than average?

"In each side-struck vehicle are two instrumented SID-IIs dummies representing a small (5th percentile) female or a 12-year-old adolescent. These dummies are positioned in the driver seat and the rear seat behind the driver."

From your link. This means these tests are worthless if you are an average size human being.

Not to mention the site does not say what each rating actually means.

It also looks like they place the car directly in front of the object hitting it, and the vehicle did not move sideways. This is not what would happen in the real world. The vehicle being struck would absorb the impact by moving sideways.


Rofl, one story of a REAR impact and you think you know what you are talking about:bellyroll:

I bet you've never been in a high speed side impact collision.

Well guess what? I have.

I was 7, I was not wearing my seatbelt, I was in the rear seat on the drivers side. An Olds 88 struck us going at least 40 mph, prolly faster. We were in a buick.

Guess what? The car moved sideways. In fact, the car moved at least 10 feet sideways, and spun at the same time. The car was pushed from the middle of the intersection all the way to the grass 5 or 6 feet from the stop sign which we started. I am being conservative with my estimates, the car prolly moved longer, and chances are it actually went airbourne.

My 7 year old non seatbelt wearing self needed 45 stitches in my face. I had no other injuries. My father, who was driving, had minor pain in his side which lasted only a week.

That was the only injuries.

Every car sold today is safer then the buick I was in during that 1986 crash.

Guess what? I was also hit in the rear by a drunk driver prolly around the same speed you were. I was not injured. A rear collision most certainly will not help you know what a side impact collision will be like.

If you want more accident stories, I have plenty of them for you. I have been in more then my share of accidents.

BTW, I LOVE how you changed the subject because you knew there was no way you could out debate me.

Airbags are very heavy, and they reduce gas mileage and performance and they have not yet been proven to do anything besides. Until it is proven beyond reasonable doubt that they do anything they should not be forced upon us by govenrment morons.

[corey415]

...
You are wrong again. The sides of vehicles are heavily reinforced so they can take the entire impact of a vehicle. Also, if you have ever watched a vehicle run right into the side of another one you will notice that the entire vehicle is pushed. This is the way cars were designed so that occupants are protected from all accidents.

You should learn what you are talking about. You actually have a better chance of surviving being hit on the side directly because the car will move sideways MUCH easier than it can move backwards if you are hit head on.


I understand your theory, but being hit by an SUV in the side in a small car like the Yaris can be extremely severe, even at a relatively low speed (under 40 mph).


Again, you are using subjective ratings. What does a poor rating mean? Does it mean the occupant is guaranteed to die, or just that the vehicle did worse than average?


C'mon, be realistic; you know they cannot predict death. They arent fortune tellers. Poor means more potential for injury/death than average. Poor means more potential for wonderful things like punctured lungs and severe brain damage.

...

Airbags are very heavy, and they reduce gas mileage and performance and they have not yet been proven to do anything besides. Until it is proven beyond reasonable doubt that they do anything they should not be forced upon us by govenrment morons.

I am confident you are the minority with this viewpoint. I prefer to side with the safety/crash test experts. Out of curiosity, have you taken out/disabled the front airbags on your current car, since they are so deadly?

Also, check out this video...
http://www.markbach.com/stuff/Dateline_2005-03-06_Side_Impact.mpg

Right click save as...

[flash]

They only are because moron governments make them mandatory by law.

Actually, you are wrong. A seatbelt can protect you in any crash if you are wearing it. Many people that get hit on the side that are not wearing seatbelts get injured much more then if they were wearing them.

You are wrong again. The sides of vehicles are heavily reinforced so they can take the entire impact of a vehicle. Also, if you have ever watched a vehicle run right into the side of another one you will notice that the entire vehicle is pushed. This is the way cars were designed so that occupants are protected from all accidents.

You should learn what you are talking about....

Rofl, one story of a REAR impact and you think you know what you are talking about:bellyroll:

I bet you've never been in a high speed side impact collision.

Well guess what? I have...

Guess what?... the car prolly moved longer, and chances are it actually went airbourne.

Guess what?...

If you want more accident stories, I have plenty of them for you. I have been in more then my share of accidents.

BTW, I LOVE how you changed the subject because you knew there was no way you could out debate me.

...they should not be forced upon us by govenrment morons.

OK... um, where to start...? I have just picked highlights... THIS IS YOU OUT-DEBATING SOMEONE!!!!!? I don't claim to know the answer to the airbag debate. I think it's pretty well established we all agree... well most of us agree, that seatbelts/airbags make cars safer. I DO KNOW that being longwinded and starting points with "you are wrong" and "well, guess what..." does not make one right and usually doesn't win arguments (except for that one time in like 7th grade).

[jcove]

Front airbags should not be standard. They only are because moron governments make them mandatory by law.

Actually, you are wrong. A seatbelt can protect you in any crash if you are wearing it. Many people that get hit on the side that are not wearing seatbelts get injured much more then if they were wearing them.

You are wrong again. The sides of vehicles are heavily reinforced so they can take the entire impact of a vehicle. Also, if you have ever watched a vehicle run right into the side of another one you will notice that the entire vehicle is pushed. This is the way cars were designed so that occupants are protected from all accidents.

You should learn what you are talking about. You actually have a better chance of surviving being hit on the side directly because the car will move sideways MUCH easier than it can move backwards if you are hit head on.

Again, you are using subjective ratings. What does a poor rating mean? Does it mean the occupant is guaranteed to die, or just that the vehicle did worse than average?

"In each side-struck vehicle are two instrumented SID-IIs dummies representing a small (5th percentile) female or a 12-year-old adolescent. These dummies are positioned in the driver seat and the rear seat behind the driver."

From your link. This means these tests are worthless if you are an average size human being.

Not to mention the site does not say what each rating actually means.

It also looks like they place the car directly in front of the object hitting it, and the vehicle did not move sideways. This is not what would happen in the real world. The vehicle being struck would absorb the impact by moving sideways.


Rofl, one story of a REAR impact and you think you know what you are talking about:bellyroll:

I bet you've never been in a high speed side impact collision.

Well guess what? I have.

I was 7, I was not wearing my seatbelt, I was in the rear seat on the drivers side. An Olds 88 struck us going at least 40 mph, prolly faster. We were in a buick.

Guess what? The car moved sideways. In fact, the car moved at least 10 feet sideways, and spun at the same time. The car was pushed from the middle of the intersection all the way to the grass 5 or 6 feet from the stop sign which we started. I am being conservative with my estimates, the car prolly moved longer, and chances are it actually went airbourne.

My 7 year old non seatbelt wearing self needed 45 stitches in my face. I had no other injuries. My father, who was driving, had minor pain in his side which lasted only a week.

That was the only injuries.

Every car sold today is safer then the buick I was in during that 1986 crash.

Guess what? I was also hit in the rear by a drunk driver prolly around the same speed you were. I was not injured. A rear collision most certainly will not help you know what a side impact collision will be like.

If you want more accident stories, I have plenty of them for you. I have been in more then my share of accidents.

BTW, I LOVE how you changed the subject because you knew there was no way you could out debate me.

Airbags are very heavy, and they reduce gas mileage and performance and they have not yet been proven to do anything besides. Until it is proven beyond reasonable doubt that they do anything they should not be forced upon us by govenrment morons.


:rolleyes: Airbags save lives....end of story. I have worked in the automotive industry for a few years and I've seen my share of accidents growing up. Vehicles are NOT meant to withstand the full impact of an SUV at full tilt on the road/highway. Vehicles are designed to withstand some impact and depending on where you are hit, some are better than others, but for the most part there is what, maybe 5 - 6 inches of structure between you and the hood of the vehicle hitting you. I'd much rather bet my life on the air bag than without.

All that being said, I understand that we are not going to change your opinion, and you are not going to change ours. Lets agree to disagree and stop the fighting. This is stupid. We are grown adults here. :barf: Let's just all agree this is a great car and move on. :drinking:

[why?]

I understand your theory, but being hit by an SUV in the side in a small car like the Yaris can be extremely severe, even at a relatively low speed (under 40 mph).
C'mon, be realistic; you know they cannot predict death. They arent fortune tellers. Poor means more potential for injury/death than average. Poor means more potential for wonderful things like punctured lungs and severe brain damage.
...
I am confident you are the minority with this viewpoint. I prefer to side with the safety/crash test experts. Out of curiosity, have you taken out/disabled the front airbags on your current car, since they are so deadly?
Also, check out this video...
http://www.markbach.com/stuff/Dateline_2005-03-06_Side_Impact.mpg
Right click save as...
That is what I am saying, poor means worse than AVERAGE. My reasoning is average is very good, especially considering 95% of the human race is larger than the test dummies they use.

If I disabled or took out the airbags in my car I would not pass a safety inspection. Plus, it would damage the resale value of my car, which is important since I am getting ready to sell it to pay for a Yaris.

The video is interesting, but points out 2 flaws in their test. The first is they use dummies that are smaller then 95% of the human race. The second one is that the test is designed for the worst possible scenario, one that might not ever happen in the real world.

I believe airbags make the manufacturers lazy. I know they can make a small car get a good rating on that test without airbags, but they let their engineers lean on the airbags. I will wait to see how the Yaris does on this test, because the Yaris uses next generation metal and structure design compared to the cars in the video.

At least the video tells us what the Institute thinks a poor rating means.

:rolleyes: Airbags save lives....end of story. I have worked in the automotive industry for a few years and I've seen my share of accidents growing up. Vehicles are NOT meant to withstand the full impact of an SUV at full tilt on the road/highway. Vehicles are designed to withstand some impact and depending on where you are hit, some are better than others, but for the most part there is what, maybe 5 - 6 inches of structure between you and the hood of the vehicle hitting you. I'd much rather bet my life on the air bag than without.

All that being said, I understand that we are not going to change your opinion, and you are not going to change ours. Lets agree to disagree and stop the fighting. This is stupid. We are grown adults here. :barf: Let's just all agree this is a great car and move on. :drinking:

Can you prove they save lives beyond a reasonable doubt? We know they have murdered 105 people in the USA since 1998.
And if you look at the video that Corey415 provided, it will show you that airbags do almost nothing in many small cars.

This is a discussion board. That means we discuss things. When discussing things different people brings different perspectives, and if one is sincere one might learn something.

I do not claim to be an expert on airbags. I do claim, however, that it has not been proven yet that airbags save lives. I feel I am right, but since I do not know everything about airbags, and I do not know every study that has ever been done, I might not be right.

I am here to debate and to learn. I am sincere in that. I love arguing about almost anything, for if everyone always agrees about everything, then no one will ever learn anything.

I HIGHLY doubt that you go through life agreeing with everyone you meet on everything. And that is a GOOD thing.

[jcove]

why?, like I said, let's agree to disagree. Sorry if you were offended by what I said. I will never agree that new airbags are dangerous, and you will never agree that they are safe. Let's shake hands and move on.:thumbsup:

Oh and to clarify what I wrote, I was talking about side airbags, as the front are not optional. I still feel that front airbags are neccesary, but that wasn't what I was commenting on.

[why?]

I wasn't offended at all.

I still am going to try to keep this thread open to see if anyone has any new info that could prove me wrong.

If it is proven that they are worth the cost in money and weight, then it would be silly for me not to buy them.

[SmellyTofu]

5 out of 5 star EuroNCAP rating with the 7 airbag option. Good enough proof for me to tick the very very very cheap tickbox that I would not want to use.

http://www.euroncap.com/images/results/superminis/car_246_2005/Toyota%20Yaris%20Datasheet%202.pdf

Take what you want from this report but I'll vote with my pencil.

[why?]

That is impressive. Too bad they did not do a side impact.

However if you look at the safety equipment listed we aren't getting the most important, which is the side curtain airbags.

The other thing to note is that the IIHS tests are more demanding than the European tests.

If you look at the results, only 10 vehicles score less then 3 stars, out of of 61. That is only 16% of the vehicles tested. Makes me wonder about the test.

[SmellyTofu]

Have you seen a 4WD with a big bullbar intrude into the passenger area? I'm not an expert on this so you might be right or not (I choose to trust the EuroNCAP and ANCAP) but I believe curtain airbags help keep your head away from any protrusions into the head area. This is from videos I see of side impacts, it's not a pretty sight to see dummy's head get in contact with bullbars.

There are talks to increasing the star rating higher.. and I agree. 5 stars will soon becoming meaningless. Still, 5 stars is better than where it's been before. I'd rather be hit an airbag than the steering wheel rim.

[why?]

What I said was that side curtain airbags are the most important.

Side curtain airbags will NOT be available on the Yaris in the USA.

I still beleive engineers rely too much on airbags and not enough on engineering.

[AestheticalFilm]

side curtain air bags are available in the us, but they do not come standard.

so basically, if you care not to have them, dont pay for em

[why?]

They are?

Just looked, and they are. Cool. I am pretty sure only side airbags were listed before.

The thing is, I can't not have airbags. The government forces me to waste money and weight on front airbags.

[SmellyTofu]

Come on .. u cannot be serious. The weight of a set of front airbags would be the same weight you have in the boot called a spare tyre... also (if you have any) lose some of your spare tyre hanging around the gut area and you'll make it up. Also toss all the rear seats out. That'd be worth stuff all.

If you really hate them, just disconnect them. Just don't expect anyone to come to the party when it comes to compensation if something goes wrong. All the millions of dollar perfecting the system by EVERY manufacturer can't be THAT wrong can they?? You can't be the only one suffering from the "everyone must be wrong" syndrome? Just because you may have survived one pretty bad accident doesn't mean it's the same for subsequent unfortunate events.

[why?]

Airbags have been the singular cause for at least 105 US deaths. Who knows how many more around the world.

It has not been reasonably proven that they save lifes. It has been proven that they can kill, and that if you are not the average 6' tall 180lb man then the odds are 50/50 whether they will help or hurt.

In 2003 there were 6,328,000 car accidents in the US. There were 2.9 million injuries and 42,643 people were killed in auto accidents. (http://www.car-accidents.com/pages/stats.html)

There were 231,389,998 vehicles operating in 2003. (http://www.carlist.com/autonews/2005/autonews_147.html)

So less then 1% of all the vehicles in the USA in 2003 were involved in accidents. In simpler terms, 1 out of every 80 vehicles operating in the USA were involved in crashes, and only 1 out of 5426 were fatal.

Some interesting accident facts. (http://christianparty.net/mvfr.htm)

In 2003, there were 1.48 fatalities per 100 million vehicles miles travelled, which means (http://www.driveandstayalive.com/info%20section/statistics/stats-usa.htm) there were about 426,000,000,000,000 miles driven on US roads. That means there was 1 accident per every 146,896,552 miles driven.

So odds are against getting in an accident.

"NHTSA recorded 238 deaths due to airbags between 1990 and 2002. (http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/medicalnews.php?newsid=25466)

quote:

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) estimates that airbags installed in automobiles have saved some 10,000 lives as of January 2004 - However, a just-released study by a statistician at the University of Georgia, however, casts doubt on that assertion.

In fact, said UGA statistics professor Mary C. Meyer, a new analysis of existing data indicates that, controlling for other factors, airbags are actually associated with slightly increased probability of death in accidents.

[AestheticalFilm]

whoa, did this thread just loop?

[why?]

That is what happens when new people show up, some things get re-discussed. It is not a bad thing.

[AestheticalFilm]

nope, i'll agree with you there,

just trying to bring some humor to this thread,

thought it could use a laugh, guess im not very funny

[why?]

lol, nothing wrong with being light hearted.

Taking things too seriously is bad.

[eight_heads]

well i also ride a motorcycle and feel pretty much the same way with the optional airbags, if it's your time, it's your time.... and i also feel airbags can help and be dangerous at the same time, but anyone driving a hunk of metal weighing at least a ton+ is in danger of killing themselves or someone else.. of course, i do wear a full face helmet one the bike....maybe if you are really afraid of injury you should also wear a full face helmet while driving your car... it's alot cheaper than the optional airbags

[wwwh355]

well i also ride a motorcycle and feel pretty much the same way with the optional airbags, if it's your time, it's your time.... and i also feel airbags can help and be dangerous at the same time, but anyone driving a hunk of metal weighing at least a ton+ is in danger of killing themselves or someone else.. of course, i do wear a full face helmet one the bike....maybe if you are really afraid of injury you should also wear a full face helmet while driving your car... it's alot cheaper than the optional airbags

In fact, I saw somebody did that b4.
what can I say..........its SO SAFE :|

[fantabulousbaby]

2 answer ur question: hell to the mo-fo'in yeah side airbags are worth it!! I understand when it's your time, it's your time but some deaths and serious injuries r preventable with utilized technology. It's $650 more and you'll get it back if when you sell it. I will insist on them for the rest of my life. Airbags saved me in 03. No, they weren't the sides, but if I did get hit from the side I would've definitely needed them. I was surprised to read someone wrote about how the 'odds' are against you having an accident. I learned somewhere that everyone averages 1 accident every 6 years.. that is some research companie's guestimate, and some people never even get in accidents, but you just never know.. it could happen anywhere, anytime, and you can be hit at whatever position.. the way I look at it, if you get hit head on or from the rear, there's all that material (bumper/engine or trunk space) to absorb impact first, but from the sides.. that thin ass door.. and the possibility of smashing my head against it.. no thanks.. I'll pay extra.

On another note, think about how drunk drivers seem to never die.. pay attention to the news.. since their bodies are in a relaxed state and us sober drivers stiffen up, 'we' get hurt and they don't. Usually just a scratch for them. I live in Houston where drunk drivers (and bad drivers period) are plentiful, I never know where someone's gonna hit me.. and even though I have gotten into the habit of looking all 4 directions instead of front/back, I'll take the extra protection anywhere I can get it.

Some may laugh at my determination, but since I insisted on side/curtains for the Yaris, I did an extensive nationwide search, flew from TX to AZ to drive 17 hrs back, got windshield crack and my first ticket ever.. but I got my side/curtains :biggrin: sorry 4 long post.

[BensVitz]

WHY?

It's all a giant government conspiracy. If we die from a collision where an airbag could have saved us, then we can't continue to pay taxes. Who are THEY to tell me that I should live?

It's a conspiracy I tell ya.... A CONSPIRACY!!!
Ben

[jmew0ng]

Are side impact airbags able to deploy fast enough to protect you from broken glass? If so, that would win me over haha.

[static808]

im not sure about the speed of the airbag deployment, but the tempered glass windows and windshields shouldn't shatter like typical glass, buying some extra time to close your eyelids and protect the precious little orbs. we need replays of those vw jetta commercials with the side-impact accident and see whether the airbags beat the glass shattering...

--B

[boxerboy]

Glad I got them. Hope I never have to find out if they are worth it.:smile:

[Violin]

This should settle the matter: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WGrNBxfpXVg

[BMGYaris]

Im not going to comment on most of the things said here, but i do want to point out a couple things.

One is that according to nhtsa 27% of fatalities on the road are caused by side impacts, though they make up a SIGNIFICANTLY smaller % of total accidents. However, though they didnt give an actual number, they said that the majority of those fatalities were caused by spin outs where the driver crashed into a pole, or an object came through the window. Another large % of deaths are spinouts and oversteering that causes the car to flip and people fall out the side windows and get crushed--which could be a real threat in a yaris Hatchback.

The yaris side airbags do not have roll sensors, so they will not protect you if you flip. The yaris also does not have the ability to deploy side airbags in offset side impact crashes--or even in an accident with a pole. The side airbags only deploy in full on side impact collision in the range of some 45-50 mph or more. consequently, it will not truly help out where they are statistically needed the most.

Also, the side airbags are not government regulated but if you do some research on nhtsa you will see that they have run many test with children and small female simulations in the front seat. They tested them lying against the door, hands help up, and they even simulated children in the front seat with their head inbetween the door and the seat playing peek-a-boo with a child in the back seat. In these simulations they found that the airbags did not cause injuries. So dont worry too much about your side airbags, even if your playing peek-a-boo...just hope the door doesnt cave in and crush your skull.

Dont trust too much information here though, we have too many people that arent looking at reliable scientific research and data.

[Violin]

UPPER DEERFIELD -- Hunger pains turned quickly into real pain for Bryan Rocco on Tuesday afternoon.
The 43-year-old Vine-land man wasn't badly injured in the one-car crash on Landis Avenue near Morton Avenue, but instead walked away with one heck of a story.

It turns out his wreck may have saved his life.

"I was on my way back to the office and stopped at Burger King and bought a chicken sandwich and onion rings," the foreman for DJ's Painting in Vineland said Tuesday evening. "I started to choke on one of the onion rings and then I guess I just blacked out."
His company-owned Scion swerved and crossed the road, hit a curb and then struck a tree.

"Next thing I knew, when I came back to," he said, "I was on my side, facing the opposite direction."

And alive.

The air bag apparently dislodged the bite of onion ring stuck in Rocco's throat.

http://www.thedailyjournal.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070919/NEWS01/709190307

[Ferret_san]

Hmmm. This has been bumming me for a while.
How effective would the curtain air bags be when the windows are down?

[blueskana]

Airbags good... wear seat belt properly.... 10&2.... drive defensively.... be safe.

[SilverBack]

Depends on your intentions for use.

No question about it if it's meant to be a daily-driver. With the way certain people drive these days, airbags are definite must-have IMO (BTW, I'm not implying that you're a bad driver, that's for you to decide :biggrin:).

On the other hand, if you're gonna build a race or show car out of it, I would go for the strip-down base model to reduce some of the tedious prep-time needed to gut out the interior. Airbags cost more and would just get in the way anyhow.

Hope this helps :smile: