Recommendations for deactivating the passenger airbag
Automobile drivers are interested in many questions. In particular, the question of how to deactivate the passenger airbag is relevant. It would seem that there is no logic in this question: why switch it off, if in force majeure, emergency situations, it can be dangerous for the health and even life of the passenger and driver? Throughout its history, it has repeatedly helped the people who used it, proving its reliability and indispensability. However, in real life, strangely enough, there are many non-standard, paradoxical cases, when such disconnection is simply necessary.
Why should you switch off airbags?
Domestic and foreign automobile statistics proves, that airbag conscious deactivation very often falls at front passenger seat. This is done, for example, when it is necessary to place a child on it during a trip, and not alone, but with a child seat. The experts think, that this safety device is able to protect your baby in case of emergency, but the airbag, on the contrary, can seriously injure the child during the trip.
There are also other important reasons, why to deactivate automatic protection of front passenger seat. Particularly, if there will be a pregnant woman there, whose rigid contact with suddenly opened airbag is fraught with an unwanted injury for her. Similarly it may happen due to some specific diseases of joints, bones, as well as presence of elderly passengers in front seat, that is purely medical reasons. It is possible to give also other similar examples. But in any case it is necessary to think thoroughly about the necessity of airbag’s disconnection. After all, then the one who has disabled it, accepts tremendous responsibility for everything that can happen to the passenger sitting next to him during an accident. The passenger factor should become decisive.
What happens if you disable the airbag
There is a stereotypical belief that the presence of a passenger airbag guarantees one hundred percent protection in any accident. However, in practice it is not so, which is well known to the drivers with long experience. It is paradoxical that such disconnection will minimize the probability that in some cases it can be dangerous, and sometimes even fatal. However, in other cases exactly its disconnection can become the main reason of injuring or death of the passenger.
How to deactivate airbag
Before deactivation, it is necessary to understand how an airbag can be disabled. The principle of deactivating these devices is very simple, however, depends, as a rule, on the car brand. This technique on the example of the car “Honda” shows that if you need to disable the protection system for the front passenger, you should look for a special button on the front instrument panel, located on the side of the door. After that:
- the parking brake is engaged;
- the ignition is turned off;
- the ignition key is removed from the lock;
- The right front door is opened;
- the key is inserted into the airbag deactivation lock and turned counterclockwise to the “OFF” state.
Turning on the airbag involves the same operations, but performed in reverse order. There are cars where deactivation of the system is done with an ordinary switch.
What are the dangers of airbags
Not everyone knows that such airbags sometimes are dangerous for the person, for whose safety they are installed. The inexorable statistics asserts about this unusual mishap. According to its latest data, only in the USA every year nearly four thousand passengers become victims because of airbag malfunction. The reasons can be wiring malfunction, wear and tear of different elements of the device, insufficient power of gas generator and so on. There is one more situation, when front airbag (as well as all others) can be considered dangerous: if a person neglects a safety belt, hoping that in case of an accident, the airbag will take the whole blow. In reality, it shoots with enormous speed of about 300 km/h during the collision, and you can imagine, with what force the unbuckled passenger is hit in it!
Peculiarities of passive safety system functioning
One of the main rules of using passive safety systems is the following: it is necessary to provide sufficient distance between the airbag and the person. It should not be less than 25 centimeters. This distance is just provided by the seat belts, which are fastened. If they are disconnected, the safety measures will be incomplete. In addition, such safety devices are always disposable. This means that if the airbag triggered, the owner of the car will have to shell out to repair not only the body, but also the installation of such a new device, and it will entail replacing the gas generator, and possibly other parts of the module, that is, the final amount will be impressive. Because of this, by the way, some car owners disconnect airbags, thus wishing to save on them in an accident. Experts strongly advise against such dubious “savings”, which can lead to dire consequences.
Due to the fact that disabling the airbag may pose a threat during an accident to the passengers in the car and the driver himself, it is necessary to weigh the pros and cons before deactivating it. But there are cases, when, according to experts’ opinion, it is a forced measure. So, it is necessary when installing a child car seat in the front seat, because the airbag has the risk of causing injury. This also applies to a pregnant woman.
Airbag control
Passive safety system
How to deactivate the airbag. A detailed guide to how to do so. How to disable the front passenger’s passive safety system depending on the make of car? How can airbag be dangerous.
Since their introduction into cars, airbags have broken thousands of noses and saved millions of lives. Generally speaking, airbags are part of a car’s passive safety system. Since the beginning of the noughties, they are installed on all foreign-made cars without exception. Russian engineers have not yet reached this stage, however, the system itself is approved by specialists who deal with road safety. However, there are cases when drivers think about how to turn off the airbag.
Let’s understand why this is necessary and how to disable airbags.
Disabling airbags
Why should airbags be deactivated?
Most often it is necessary to deactivate the front passenger’s passive safety devices. Usually, it is done, if there is a child in a child seat on the front seat next to the driver. According to the experts, the restraints themselves can protect the little passenger, but the airbag in this case, at the moment of shooting can cause a serious injury to the kid.
It also makes sense to disable front passenger protection for some medical reasons, viz:
- At an advanced age.
- When pregnant.
- In case of bone and joint diseases.
The list can be supplemented by yourself. However, before deactivating the system, weigh the pros and cons. Responsibility for your passenger’s life and health in this case will be solely on your conscience.
How to deactivate airbag
Peculiarities of deactivating airbags depending on the brand of car can significantly disable. However, the principle remains the same. In order to understand how to disable airbag, let’s analyze all actions sequentially on the example of Honda car.
The button of switching off passive safety for front passenger is located on the side of instrument panel, on the passenger door side. You can know what status the airbag is in by a special light indicator. It can be found near the audio system or navigation system. So, how to disconnect front passenger airbag correctly:
- Engage the parking brake.
- Completely turn off the ignition and remove the key from the lock.
- Now open the front passenger door.
- Next, locate the airbag disable lock. Insert the key into it and turn it counterclockwise to the off position.
You can turn on the front passenger safety system by performing all these actions in the reverse order. By the way, if in Honda’s case the airbag must be turned off with the key.
In some models, at the same place is a conventional switch, pressing which you can deactivate the system.
What are the dangers of airbags?
Even if you exclude bad health and childhood of front passenger, the airbag may still be fatal. For example, several years ago, an authoritative American portal, conducted a study as a result of which were published very sad figures. According to the researchers, nearly three and a half thousand people die every year in America alone because of faulty airbags.
The cause of the tragedy can be:
- Faulty wiring.
- Airbags that are past their useful life.
- Lack of gas generator power.
Another reason when an airbag can become fatal for a passenger is the neglect of seat belts. According to the historical practice it is already proved that airbags do not replace but rather supplement airbags. However, there is an opinion among drivers that it is possible to drive in a car equipped with airbags without having to buckle up, and that in case of an accident, the airbag will fully absorb the impact. In practice it is completely different. To begin with, think about the fact, that at the moment of collision the half-cushion shoots out with a huge speed up to 300 kilometers per hour. Unbuckled passengers hit the airbag with such force that it is safer to hit the steering wheel or the windshield.
In order not to break your nose or smash your face on the airbag, the distance between the airbag and the passenger should be at least 25 centimeters, which is exactly what the seat belts provide.
Peculiarities of passive safety system functioning
Some people, by the way, turn off the airbags from the point of view that they are purely disposable devices. If it goes off, the car owner will have to pay for installation of a new airbag besides body repair. And it will be necessary to replace the whole module, including the gas generator. Depending on the car model, you will have to pay a pretty penny, in severe cases it can reach several dozen thousand rubles.
However, before you turn off the airbag, think about the fact that the passenger’s life is in any case much more expensive than any repair.
Taking into consideration the above mentioned reasons, you should be especially attentive to passive safety system when buying a new car. Some dishonest car owners, when selling a vehicle after an accident, may try to cheat you in order to save money. For example, they can install external stubs instead of airbags and rewire the control unit, so you cannot guess about it even after computer diagnostics. In this case it is impossible to find out for sure, if the airbag blew out. Therefore, when buying a car, inspect it for signs of accidents. For example, overpainted parts, rust and other signs.
The Future of Airbags
It is quite possible that in the future, the system of passive safety will change so much, that there will be no need to deactivate it even when transporting small passengers. The history of development of airbags for last 30 years speaks about it. They have turned from an exotic to an indispensable attribute of modern transport safety. It is difficult to predict how airbags will improve in the future, but one thing is clear – in the near future the technology of their production will become significantly cheaper and the number of species will increase. As a result, the cars will be equipped with all modern safety systems.
Including airbags for small children, which will be designed in such a way that when opened, it is guaranteed not to cause any harm to the baby, and the driver will only have to switch the system depending on who is riding next to him.
