Following the incident titled "Driver emerges from mangled car after multi-car accident", it was hard to believe the occupant survived. Amidst a pile of twisted metal, the rescued individual's safety seemed nothing short of a miracle. Yet, scrolling through the comments, I encountered a familiar scenario: instead of celebrating a life saved, some questioned, "Why didn't the airbags deploy?"
For these individuals, airbags have become the standard for assessing vehicle safety. They assume that if a car looks severely damaged after a collision, the airbags must deploy. If they don't, it implies the car is "substandard", the sensors are faulty, or even that the manufacturer cut corners on components.
[VIDEO_445306]Video: Huy Manh - Do Nam
This over-obsession with airbags makes many forget the ultimate goal of traffic safety: human survival and integrity. In this incident, the car's chassis performed its duty well, ensuring the occupant's safety. Whether the airbags deployed or not was a secondary technical issue.
Many are unaware of "how dangerous an airbag deployment can be". The explosive force of an airbag deployment can propel an adult, posing extreme danger if it deploys directly into the face. If airbags deploy in every collision and occupants are not wearing seatbelts, they could cause greater injuries to the face, chest, and arms.
Especially in cases where a car is mangled or jammed, like this incident, if airbags deploy, occupying the already limited space in the cabin, could victims easily move to escape? Would rescuers easily access victims if deflated airbags obstruct, block visibility, and make the space more cramped? Sometimes, a non-deployed airbag can be a "narrow escape route", helping victims exit faster. Therefore, airbag deployment is not always fortunate.
Airbags are not "impact-and-deploy" sensors. They are programmed based on deceleration rate and impact angle. If a car is crushed from above or compressed from the sides, and the impact point does not hit the front impact sensors, the airbags will not activate. If the impact force is not severe enough to be life-threatening, and seatbelts provide sufficient protection, airbags will "refuse" to deploy to save repair costs and prevent secondary injuries.
Do not judge a car based on airbag deployment; instead, observe whether the passenger compartment maintains its shape to protect occupants. This airbag obsession is misguided. Do not focus solely on airbags, forgetting driving skills, the habit of wearing seatbelts (a prerequisite for proper airbag function), and the structural integrity of the chassis.
Reader Vu Vu
