s4master1

sorry I did not realize it was hit by a bicycle at 40 mph
my mistake

s4master1

sorry but have to disagree on this,the bicycle and train are perfect examples but the opposite way.if the train hits the car at 5-10 may be even 20 mph while the car is standing still what is going to happen is that the car will be pushed, obviously will be mangle in the process and if lifted the curtain bags will deploy but not the side bags.
now picture the train standing still and the car hitting it at 5-10 mph, you have only about 30% chance of the air bags deploying considering this is a frontal collision, due to the car's ability to absorb energy, now make this 20 mph and they will definitely deploy, why?, because the train is so heavy that literally won't move at all, which relates to your theory of mass.
so that means that the car's speed changed so quick from 20 mph to 0 mph in about 300ms, now as we all know (I assume) the air bags take 120ms from crash sensor sensing the impact to full deployment and a human body weighing 160lbs would take 600ms to begin accelerating forward.
the air bag would actually stop the body from accelerating not actually dampening the impact to the steering wheel or dashboard.
in another example, which also uses the mass theory you can hit a bicycle at 60mph and the bags will remain intact, also very unlikely the bags will deploy if 10 bicycles hit you even if standing still.
sorry if I don't make any sense but this is the best I can explain.

this was 65 mph impact

jordonb

yeah, you don't make sense

a car hitting a train is a completely different scenario than the inverse, as you are no longer referring (fisrt of all) to side impact, so you have to leave bag popping out of it.
second of all, the car becomes the object in motion, so it has less mass moving at a given velocity, therefore, less force of impact... it is ok, if you don't get the physics. not everyone does.

s4master1

I think will call porsche to give me my money back on these subject as well the classes from mercedes benz.
rate of deceleration is what triggers the bags, if you remember very early bags (benz 500se 1984) exploded almost on contact when in an accident, (some of them exploded even when hitting a hole in the street), because the technology was not been developed yet for smart airbags and cars were so much more rigid than today.
today car's structure specially in the front has so many crumpling materials that absorb a big amount of energy in an impact, thus preventing bag deployment unless the rate of deceleration is too great and if the seat occupancy sensor detect weight and the seat belts are not latched.
it takes a lot more today to deploy an air bag than 10 years ago, big train hitting an 03 a4 at 10mph from any angle is just going to push it and mangle it up, unless the wheels or at least two wheels lift off the ground.
at that point the curtain air bags will deploy but not the tensioners or the bags.
there's are 3 factors for this to happen and if you know about physics you very well know what they are and what the entire equation is call

lyleswk

Tell you what is most intersting to me is that the passenger space on the Merc in the pictures looks unintruded on...

s4master1

Yes it wasn't, we were rolling at about 8-10 mph, midsize chrysler came from behind, according to CHP he was traveling at about 65 mph, driver admitted to it even though he was in excruciating pain.
the car's roof crumble slightly near the sunroof and under the rear seat was some wrinkling, but all doors were able to open and close, as you can see the rear window glass was untouched, no bag deployment due to the fact that we were push about 30 yards.
CHP was amazed and thankful of two things,
one, we were driving this car and not a small economy car
two, the other car did not crashed against a big truck
otherwise somebody would've died that day.
thank you to all engineers for keeping improving all things and making our lives safer and easier and more comfortable.

woofster

I'm pretty sure that'll buff riiiiight out.