Airbags have been a standard safety feature in automobiles for over 30 years. Initially, they were optional, but in 1999, they became standard. Their use has been invaluable as they have saved thousands of lives over their tenure.
However, like many items beneficial to humankind, airbags have flaws. While designed to save lives, they are not infallible. Even if an airbag saves a life, drivers and passengers can still be injured in the accident and, in many cases, by the airbags.
Airbags usually deploy in crashes at 10-12 mph and higher speeds. The part of the automobile impacted determines which airbags deploy. Airbags can be in the steering wheel, under the dashboard, in the dashboard, in the doors, in the side panels, and other vital placements.
At impact, a sensor sends an electrical charge to a reservoir containing the chemical sodium azide. The charge creates an explosion, turning the azide into rapidly expanding nitrogen gas. The gas inflates the bag.
The electrical charge from the accident sensor to the sodium azide takes 2 milliseconds. The explosion and gas expansion takes 20 milliseconds. Speed is critical here as the bag must inflate wholly and quickly to catch a driver or passenger. The bag then rapidly deflates to bring the occupants’ bodies to a controlled stop.
The keyword in the last paragraph is explosion. The chemical reaction creates a loud noise, a high-velocity force, and significant heat. These events are necessary for the device to work, but contact with the bag before it has fully expanded can cause blunt trauma and burns. Contact before complete inflation means the airbag is hitting the person, not catching them.
Being hit instead of caught can result in a variety of injuries. Depending upon where the driver has their hands on the wheel, finger, wrist and arm fractures are possible. Burns are also common.
Airbag impacts can also result in facial fractures, skull fractures, rib fractures, chest injuries and internal bleeding. Eye injuries often accompany facial injuries. Ear and hearing damage are possible. And pregnancies can be placed at risk.
One way to avoid injury is for a person to create space between themselves and an airbag. The bag must have room to expand fully.
Space is critical with elderly drivers. As they shrink in stature, they often must move their car seat closer to the steering wheel to see while driving. While this increases visibility, it places the driver at risk of an airbag injury. A minimum of 10 inches of space is recommended between the driver and the wheel.
Now, with this information in mind, it brings me to the actual point of this writing: a pet peeve of mine, people driving with their dog(s) in their lap.
Great effort has been made to stop driving under the influence and texting while driving. Diminished senses/skills and distractions are deadly.
There are other distractions. I have friends who received traffic tickets for shaving with an electric raiser while driving to work, eating a hamburger while driving, and driving while wearing earbuds.
The last distractions listed above are mild compared to driving with a dog in your lap. A dog standing with its front paws on the door or dashboard trying to see out of the window or windshield is a hazard. It is even worse if the dog has its head out of the window.
I have seen dogs running back and forth in the front seat, barking. That is not safe.
Let’s say, for example, Precious, your King Charles spaniel, loves to ride in your lap. He usually snuggles down in between you and the steering wheel. If the airbag deploys, it will hit Precious and, in all probability, kill him. You will be injured and possibly killed from Precious being hurled into your chest.
Airbag deployment happens with the same speed and force every time. Airbag devices cannot gauge their degree of deployment to match varying forces of impact. It is an all-or-nothing deployment.
Some will read this and make one or more of the following statements. “I’m a good driver. I won’t have an accident.” “I can move my dog or protect is during an accident.” Ah … right.
The rest of us may not agree with your assessment of your driving skills, and you cannot discount other drivers being the cause of an accident. Additionally, there isn’t a human on the planet who can move faster than an airbag deploys. Trying to control the car and protect the dog won’t happen, especially if the driver does not see the accident coming.
Dogs should be transported in the back seat (when there is a back seat) and restrained by a harness. Dogs are removed from the dangers of airbag deployment and kept in their seats.
This raises an additional issue. An unrestrained dog becomes a furry projectile during the accident. Everyone in the auto is at risk in this situation.
Some dogs may melt down if they are suddenly relegated to the back seat wearing a harness. The new travel arrangement could also lead to a meltdown by the owner. “I just cannot bear it. Little Fluffy gets so upset if he cannot ride in my lap.”
We all love our dogs, but we must remember we are at the top of the food chain. We control if a dog gets in the car and where it sits. A dog’s desires are secondary; the recommendations here are for their own good and are in everyone’s best interest.
