Animated discussion in my favourite coffee bar this week centred around a study and subsequent 2016 report by the University of Wisconsin, on the subject of vehicle airbags.
The report concluded that airbags will NOT deploy if the vehicle's ignition is turned OFF.
This presumably means that, if you've pulled into a lay-by for a rest or to make a phone call and somebody ploughs into you, he'll be fine because his airbags will have deployed, but you will most likely suffer injury as, if the findings of the above study are to be believed, your airbags were unable to deploy because the ignition was off.
I have always assumed that airbags are triggered by a motion sensor device which activates the appropriate explosive charge to inflate the airbags. I have never really given any thought as to whether the ignition being on or off will influence their functionality.
My own vehicle has all the airbags that it was possible to specify at the time I ordered the car. To think that I could be side swiped whilst parked up somewhere and not benefit from the protection I thought my car contained, is worrying to say the least.
Does anyone know what the situation is with Audi vehicles?
The report concluded that airbags will NOT deploy if the vehicle's ignition is turned OFF.
This presumably means that, if you've pulled into a lay-by for a rest or to make a phone call and somebody ploughs into you, he'll be fine because his airbags will have deployed, but you will most likely suffer injury as, if the findings of the above study are to be believed, your airbags were unable to deploy because the ignition was off.
I have always assumed that airbags are triggered by a motion sensor device which activates the appropriate explosive charge to inflate the airbags. I have never really given any thought as to whether the ignition being on or off will influence their functionality.
My own vehicle has all the airbags that it was possible to specify at the time I ordered the car. To think that I could be side swiped whilst parked up somewhere and not benefit from the protection I thought my car contained, is worrying to say the least.
Does anyone know what the situation is with Audi vehicles?
