Air Bag deployment in car accident causes hearing loss.
Thread Starter
Air Bag deployment in car accident causes hearing loss.
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
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
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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...
I thought that airbags were designed to only deploy in the event of a frontal impact 
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.
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.
Last edited by Jenna Talia; 12th Jul 2014 at 11:29.
'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
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
I thought that airbags were designed to only deploy in the event of a frontal impact
Still I'd rather lose my hearing than have my nose forced into my brain.
Air Bag deployment in car accident causes hearing loss.
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.
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.
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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.
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.
short flights long nights
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)
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)
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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.
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.
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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 :-)
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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.
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.
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.
Originally Posted by Pontius
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?
Thanks Centaurus, interesting stuff.
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.
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.
Solution: Don't drive a car with airbags
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!
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!
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?
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.....
Thank goodness for modern engineering including airbags, auto tensioning belts, side intrusion bars etc. Hertz now one car short.....