Air Bag deployment in car accident causes hearing loss.

[Centaurus]

Friend who is a current pilot was driving his car at 40 Kms when he was was T- Boned into the rear door. No passengers. The first he knew of the "event" was a huge explosion, followed by white dust and smoke appearing from under the dash board. The driver and passenger airbags had been actuated and he was unable to hear initially. He had no idea he had been hit side on by another car. The force of impact shunted his own car 90 degrees into a power pole on the nature strip. By amazing coincidence a police car filmed the accident as it was a few metres down the road filming traffic. They immediately confirmed that my friend was not at fault.

The driver of the other vehicle said he never saw the car he hit. My mate was initially unable to exit his car as the electronic door self locking mechanism was in place. The passenger side front door was warped by the impact and he could not open it. Fortunately electrical power was not interrupted and he was able to exit via the driver's door. With no electrical power he would have been trapped inside. He stated he had always locked the doors before driving off due to stories from USA where thieves would attack cars at traffic lights.

The purpose of this post is to warn drivers involved in a car accident that the actuation of an airbag may cause permanent ear damage due to the pressure wave of the air bag explosion exacerbated by the car windows being up and initial pressure being unable to escape. The white dust associated with air bag explosion is white powder in the air bag designed to prevent internal moisture which if present may effect deployment.

The following info via Google: (Quote)

Research tends to show that over 15 percent of persons whose airbags deployed in a traffic accident suffer some degree of permanent hearing loss. It is worth noting that an airbag deploys in the same explosive manner whether the accident was at a relatively low speed as it does at a high rate of speed. The problem is that an airbag is deployed using a tiny explosive device. This explosive device is necessary because the airbag must inflate in the extremely brief period of time it takes between the initial car crash impact and the moment the driver’s head would otherwise strike the steering wheel. Unquote.

Several days later the driver has considerable ear pain, ringing in the ears and significant deafness in that he cannot hear TV and has great difficulty talking and listening on the phone. All caused by the air bag explosion. Understandably this has ramifications with regard to his aircrew medical status. FYI

[nitpicker330]

Good to know but at least he's still alive.

[Information Charlie]

I've static-fired air bags in the past for my job, from a distance I might add, and if you've got visions of cotton balls, pillows and fluffy clouds, forget it! It's like having a shotgun fired in your face...

[Jenna Talia]

I thought that airbags were designed to only deploy in the event of a frontal impact :confused: some years back I had both airbags deploy as a result of a front ender, but thankfully there was no effect on my hearing.

I hope your friend's hearing will eventually recover.

[dubbleyew eight]

the white powder triggered a fatal asthma attack in one poor woman.

[Wally Mk2]

'JT' airbags are fitted to the sides of a lot of cars these days also. In the accident sequence described by the poster here there may have been a sudden reduction in fwd speed also hence the front airbags deployed.

I saw a wrecked Ford car at a wrecking yard once where I was after some spare parts & asked the yard guy about the Ford with the airbags just hanging there looking limp & he said that the driver had a massive heart attack brought on by the deployment of the airbags during that accident, sheez I thought it must be a hell of a shock when they go off!


Wmk2

[compressor stall]

I thought that airbags were designed to only deploy in the event of a frontal impact

There are all sorts of airbags in side pillars and other places in Volvo like cars these days.

Still I'd rather lose my hearing than have my nose forced into my brain.

[Pali]

I had the same experience 2 years ago. Side impact with narrow escape when I missed the concrete pole. All airbags deployed but I don't remember it would be too much of a bang. No problems with hearing at all. At first I thought my car is on fire due smoke.
As far I know deployment of airbags triggers the unlocking of all doors instantly.
Front airbags went off without frontal impact and that caused excessive repair costs so it was a write off.

[SawMan]

Part of the problem is when the passenger compartment is 'sealed', ie windows closed. Then the explosion pressurizes the whole area. I like a bit of fresh air while driving so I usually have a window opened slightly or more and I'm even more in the habit with air-bags in my car. I think it's mandated that all doors have a manual unlocking system though few actually use it, and in a heavy impact it would probably be U/S as well

This is kind of like the diagonal shoulder belt causing a lot of broken clavicles- a life is potentially saved but not without some harm happening. Injured like this, the arm next to the door is inoperable which hinders exiting. It's tough to decide where one risk exceeds the other and how to address things when the known potential for harm can go so many different ways.

I hope your friend recovers completely and is back in the sharp end soon.

[SOPS]

Well I know one thing. About 4 years ago a drunk driver went through a red light and all most hit my wifes Honda head on....sort off off side head on. On board were my wife and two of the kids. All air bags inflated, front, seat sides and curtains. They walked away. When I saw the car, I did not believe anyone could have lived inside it after a crash that it went through. But it seemed the impact apsortian zones, the pre belt tensioning and airbags did their job.

I would prefer to have a slightly deaf family, than no family at all.

(And as an aside, when I look back at the cars I grew up with in the sixties, I wonder how any of us survived)

[500N]

Centaurus

Sorry to hear about your friend.


Hearing loss is cumulative, once hearing is damaged it tend not to recover
and more exposure makes it worse.

Re the pressure wave, as someone pointed out, if windows open a lot less severe than if windows closed.

I have set of firearms and explosive charges in rooms and outside and if anywhere near a wall or enclosed space,
the sound is deafening but the same outside, not at all or as much but that pressure wave hurts if caught in an enclosed space.

I have totally stuffed hearing.

[VH-XXX]

I once lost my hearing for a couple of days or so from an accident involving an amplifier and studio style headphones. I could not hear my Mother asking me what was wrong. I also lost my sense of balance. It was probably the worst experience I've had in my whole lifetime. It mostly came back after a few days and gradually got back close to normal. I still get ringing at night when it's quiet but I still believe I can hear well, often hearing things that others don't. Either this accident caused the ringing of playing in a live band for 10 years may have had some impact too :-)

[Pontius]

The purpose of this post is to warn drivers involved in a car accident that the actuation of an airbag may cause permanent ear damage due to the pressure wave of the air bag explosion exacerbated by the car windows being up and initial pressure being unable to escape.

What a bizarre reason to post such a message. Are we now meant to go and deactivate the air bags in our cars because they may increase the risk of us failing our medicals if we are involved in an accident?

I have to say that being armed with this new information will not alter my behaviour one iota and I'll take the theoretical increased risk of losing my hearing over the actual increase in safety of having giant balloons in my steering wheel.

[Metro man]

Air bags cause serious leg injuries as well. In the past, an accident sufficiently serious to cause the type of leg injuries presenting in emergency rooms these days, would have killed the victim. With air bags, people are now surviving more serious accidents because the upper body is protected, however the legs aren't.

[Capn Bloggs]

What a bizarre reason to post such a message. Are we now meant to go and deactivate the air bags in our cars because they may increase the risk of us failing our medicals if we are involved in an accident?

No, just remember "exacerbated by the car windows being up and initial pressure being unable to escape." :cool:

Thanks Centaurus, interesting stuff.

[Pontius]

Ahhh, okay I've got it now; drive with your windows open to preserve your Class 1 :ok:

[Metro man]

Person has serious accident without air bags - person dies therefore injuries irrelevant.

Person has serious accident with air bags - person survives but has serious injuries to unprotected parts of the body.

Therefore as a result of air bags more serious leg injuries are being seen.;)

[Possum1]

Buy a 20 year old low mileage EBII-ED Falcon for $1000-$2000, one of the finest taxis ever built. Comprehensive insurance is $300 p.a. Parts are still readily available and dirt cheap at Repco or the wreckers, in fact, a helluva lot cheaper than when Ford was supplying them.

Practise some defensive driving like you do in your aircraft, maintain your margins and stay clear of the other crazies.

Remember, you're not supposed to crash. This used to be road rule No.1, sadly not now with the opinions above seeming to reflect that a crash is inevitable and must be prepared for by means other than an ability to drive and stay out of trouble.

Spend the tens of thousand of dollars that you will save on important things e.g. your next engine, your Cessna SIDs, your next plane!

[jolihokistix]

If sudden pressure build-up is the culprit, surely cars fitted with explosive airbags should, in an ideal world, have a mandated blow-open valve somewhere in the passenger box?

[TBM-Legend]

son in car driven by mother T-boned on pax door. seat belts tensioned, air bags deployed, car written off. Son has no damage, mother has seat belt bruises. Speeding F-150 that hit them badly bingled. Driver off to hospital - no airbags!

Thank goodness for modern engineering including airbags, auto tensioning belts, side intrusion bars etc. Hertz now one car short.....

[sms777]

Hey Possum1.! Do you want a job? I am looking for sensible down to earth fellows understand simple life logics. Life would be lot more easy if everyone out there had the same thinking like yourself.
It's all about prevention and defensive driving. Too bad they don't teach common sense in schools anymore.
I keep an ED Ford falcon XR6 in my fleet as a courtesy car for my customers because it is one of the safest cars ever built in Oz and it's well above taxi standards.
As for airbags.....they only good to preserve a pretty face in your coffin..:E

[Kharon]

Found a very welcome email from a 'good fellah' waiting for me this morning. Not having the best of runs, but still in good form.

AND AND AND...........peacefully driving on the highway and sideswiped. Air Bags blown. My seat torn from the floor. My left leg broke the steering wheel..............my body is OK but major hearing loss due to the collision and airbag deployment.

But hey.......my immortal pills are still working so many Yeeeee Haaaas.

Must be endemic; the most dangerous part of any flight is the drive to the airport. Lately though, it seems to be four wheel drive juggernaughts, unaware of other road users, meandering along their own god given path, sending text messages who have taken to trying to spoil my day...

Here's to Murphy - everyman's co pilot

[turbopropulsion]

Thus is slightly off topic but bound to cause some drama. No offense to Americans but In my honest opinion; Americans shouldn't be allowed to drive in Europe on their licenses. My friend worked as a driving instructor for 5 years in the US. The standard of driving over there is significantly different. The maneuvers that need to be carried out are very easy and entirely different to European (well to be more specific, uk test standard). The biggest reason for this is the size of the roads, they're huge in America.

I believe licenses are handed out far too easily in the US, but also, people all over the world get far too confident after driving for multiple years. There should be a renewal periods of your license. I see awful driving everyday in Korea and when I lived in England and the US I used to get road rage from seeing idiots behind the wheel.

I spent 6 months in the US and 6 in oz driving all over the two countries with my best friend. We literally zigzagged across the entire landmass. Undertaking was the biggest problem I saw... It was so common. Also people not moving over to let faster cars pass on the correct side. Add the lack of signaling, no mirror checking before changing lanes, phone use while driving and tailgating/ speeding in poor conditions (wet/low visibility) you can really see why there are so many accidents around the world.....

They need tougher regulations and tests all around the world.

I'm sorry, I know some of you are going to flame me for this but if you've never driven a manual car in Europe, what makes you qualified to do that? That makes no sense to me.

[Capn Bloggs]

Just engage LNAV, VNAV and autothrottle. What could go wrong??

Undertaking was the biggest problem I saw... It was so common. Also people not moving over to let faster cars pass on the correct side.
http://www.smilies.our-local.co.uk/index_files/lightbulb.gif

[sms777]

Well...there you have it. Now we got Koreans trying to teach the western world how to drive cars. Because you guys flooded the world with your sh#tbox Hyundai's and Kia's and even you don't now how to drive them does not give you the rights to educate the people who gave you the rights to copy real cars. I have seen the way you guys fly aeroplanes and put up with your kind on the roads of Sydney everyday so I don't need to take this crap.
You wanted to be flamed?.....You got it.....:ugh:

[Avgas172]

Buy a 20 year old low mileage EBII-ED Falcon for $1000-$2000, one of the finest taxis ever built. Comprehensive insurance is $300 p.a. Parts are still readily available and dirt cheap at Repco or the wreckers, in fact, a helluva lot cheaper than when Ford was supplying them.

This describes precisely the type of car that every aspiring commercial pilot currently has, found outside hangars far and wide in Australia ..... :E

[plucka]

The plane I fly has airbags on the shoulder straps of the harness. I have wondered in an accident, if they deployed what sort of damage they would do to my arms and shoulders. I presume it would be rather difficult to get out of the wreckage with dislocated shoulders.... Think I'll continue to try and not find out!!

[mickjoebill]

Centarus, what size was your friends car?
Presumably the smaller the car the more pronounced the compression?
The size of airbags would not differ between compact and large sedans?

Also if a single airbag can cause damage then the activation of multiple air bags (thus creating x times more pressure) would likely to cause far greater damage?
Perhaps the variable between the case studies mentioned here is the variance of deformation of cabin or breaking of windows that would release the air pressure.
Granted airbags are meant to deploy before cabin deforms, but perhaps the level of ear damage is proportional to length of exposure?



Mickjoebill

[Metro man]

The plane I fly has airbags in the seat belts of the first row of passenger seats. With the greater cabin volume compared to a car, their deployment would be less proportionate compared to the space available, even though the aircraft is more airtight than a car.

[bankrunner]

This describes precisely the type of car that every aspiring commercial pilot currently has, found outside hangars far and wide in Australia .....

A mate of mine is a doctor and he drives a 30 year old Ford Laser. But he owns three aircraft, so you can see where he puts his money :ok:

[Metro man]

If he owns three aircraft I'm surprised he can afford a car at all.

[turbopropulsion]

Well...there you have it. Now we got Koreans trying to teach the western world how to drive cars. Because you guys flooded the world with your sh#tbox Hyundai's and Kia's and even you don't now how to drive them does not give you the rights to educate the people who gave you the rights to copy real cars. I have seen the way you guys fly aeroplanes and put up with your kind on the roads of Sydney everyday so I don't need to take this crap.
You wanted to be flamed?.....You got it.....:ugh:

sms777-

That was quite the rant! Do you wonder why Australians have a reputation for being racist? With phrases such as "Koreans trying to teach the western world" and "you people"....


My post was directed at 4 different nations, the UK, US, Australia and Korea. I didn't single one out more than the other. I clearly stated that I had seen bad driving all over the world and that Americans shouldn't be allowed to drive a manual car in Europe on American licenses.

For the record, I don't take any offense to your racist rambles, as I'm not even Korean, I'm English, I just happen to live in Seoul at the moment.

You've really made a mess of this one haven't you?

[onetrack]

It seems that hearing loss is not the only problem with airbag activation. Many airbags are just plain faulty, and recalls are now on a worldwide basis.

10,000,000 recalls worldwide, of faulty airbags (http://www.drive.com.au/motor-news/mercedesbenz-joins-deadly-airbag-recalls-20140805-100k7n.html)

[sms777]

turbopropulsion
I had no intensions of making this a raciast argument but since you admitted that you are a pom let me remind of your ancestors. They invaded Australia and pretty much most of the world hundreds of years ago in wooden boats killing every innocent locals and raping their children in their way for the simple reason....their skin were different colour. They thought they were savages and British were superior. You guys invented racism.....:{ I have singled out one country but it seems you hate 4 continents.

BTW...enjoy your stay in Korea and I hope you will teach them how to do visual approaches in clear days with stick and rudder....:E

[turbopropulsion]

I'm sorry but you clearly said-

"now we have Koreans teaching the western world how to ....."

And -

"I'm sick of you people"

Sounds like a racist rant if you ask me.
Also, why are you talking about history like it's relevant here? (You're not doing yourself any favors) Let's take emotion out of it shall we and be adults.

Just dealing with the facts, I guess that's what you'd expect from a "Pom", a logical, objective answer.