Thread: My new front bar

Originally Posted by winaje

Dan, this may be worth reading...
http://www.aulro.com/afvb/discovery-...m-d2-work.html

Very interesting stuff!! So I wonder what the sensors I was looking at were?

Maybe I can clarify srs and crush cans a bit.

In my experience as a crash investigator in the past I have had numerous dealings with the experts regarding court matters on this subject.

The sensors in any car send a signal to the computer. There will be accelerometers to measure the amount of deceleration involved in the impact. The computer program that receives these messages has the job of deploying the airbags and the seatbelt pretensioners in sequence so as to time all the systems together so that the body hits the airbag at exactly the right time.

If the car is altered in any way that changes the deceleration of the car because crush zones, or impact absorption areas are now doing their respective jobs on a different curve, remember this takes place in milliseconds, the the timing will be out.

This means that a body can hit the airbag too late and it has already deflated ( an airbag inflates by explosive charge and immediately deflates, but in a controlled manner, again in milliseconds), this will result in injuries that should have been avoided.
Alternatively, and much much worse, the body can hit the airbag when it is still inflating. Imaging your face hitting something traveling at several hundred kilometers per hour......remember an airbag inflated by explosive charge and fully inflates in milliseconds.
There is cases where airbags have caused death because of early deployment for whatever reason. That's why they have big stickers on them saying "may cause death or serious injury"

Manufacturers of not only bars, but lift kits etc, must show that their product has no effect on the operation and deployment of the srs system.
In most cases crush cans are designed in to accommodate this requirement, but some others may meet the standard without crushcans.

The manufacturer remains liable should it be shown that their product cause injury because of non compliance or defect. Likewise if you fit an item that you know to be non compliant and injury results, you will be held liable for the outcome. I have seen this result too many times in court.

People have made comment that they will do it anyway because even 32" tyres are illegal. This may be so, but those tyres, albeit illegal are unlikely to cause death whereas alterations that effect srs deployment are far more likely to have a bad outcome.

It is also illegal to remove an airbag system or disable it in any way. You could lose your house over it.....let alone your life, or someone else's life, your child's maybe?

The law is not always an ass, sometimes it has a very good basis.

Think about it.

Cheers all, hope this helps.

Kev

Originally Posted by walker

Really!!!! So how are they still airbag compliant? Maybe the crush cans have little to do with the airbags then.

The xrox has steel plates with folds in them which must replicate the action of the crush cans.