They use a chemical charge which is usually sodium azide and an oxidizer
I have looked the stuff up myself now. The oxidizer is potassium nitrate, the
resulting compounds are nitrogen gas, which fills the bag after ignition within
20-40 msec, and potassium and sodium oxide. Newer air bags work with an
additional compressed gas container.
Those things are scary to me, even just on this group there have been a couple
reports of accidental airbag deployments when water got in the control box and
plenty of people are injured when the bag deploys while their arms are in the
way.
Still an arm injury is usually less life threatening than the injuries which the
airbags can prevent. The energy is dissipated over a bigger area and time. When
wearing only seat belts, the pressure of the belt over a smaller area and the
head banging around can cause nasty injuries to the big vessels behind the
clavicle and in the neck.
Personally I always wear my seatbelt, make sure it's properly adjusted, pay
attention, and drive defensively. I won't buy an airbag equipped car, and if I
did, I'd certainly disconnect or remove it.
Not turning off brain.exe is always important, I proceed as you except with the
air bags now. Of course the seatbelt has always to be used and the airbag does
not replace it, it is an additional protection. Statistics state that the
airbags reduce letality of car accidents over the protection given by seat belts
alone, so I believe in it. Even a seat belt can be lethal in an accident, but
these cases are very rare, in most instances it protects, so I do also use it
even knowing that there is a little chance that it kills me. Hopefully I will
need neither of them.
Regards
Viktor
The e-mail in the header is never read
personal e-mail vikwei at gmx dot at
. Do the airbags work with dry