grt@twitch.UUCP ( G.R.Tomasevich) (01/08/86)
Since an air bag is not tested unless it is used, how does one know that it will work when needed? For those who have air bags, is it convenient, or even possible, to test them? If a seat belt has inertial-lock reels, one can test them by stomping the brakes or lunging forward in the seat. -- George Tomasevich, ihnp4!twitch!grt AT&T Bell Laboratories, Holmdel, NJ
ark@alice.UucP (Andrew Koenig) (01/09/86)
> Since an air bag is not tested unless it is used, how does one know that > it will work when needed? For those who have air bags, is it convenient, > or even possible, to test them? If a seat belt has inertial-lock reels, > one can test them by stomping the brakes or lunging forward in the seat. It is impossible to test an air bag without using it, and they are use-once devices. However, that does not mean one should have no confidence in them for that reason. For instance, it is also impossible to test the shear pins that hold the engines on a 747 wing. Nevertheless, Boeing gets a very good idea about whether or not a shear pin is likely to work by a simple algorithm: 1. Make 100 pins in the same manufacturing run. 2. Pull 10 of these pins at random and test them. This, of course, destroys the pins. 3. If any of the 10 fails, destroy the other 90. Otherwise, use them.
hgp@houem.UUCP (#H.PAGE) (01/09/86)
Since an air bag is not tested unless it is used, how does one know that it will work when needed? For those who have air bags, is it convenient, or even possible, to test them? If a seat belt has inertial-lock reels, one can test them by stomping the brakes or lunging forward in the seat. -- George Tomasevich, ihnp4!twitch!grt AT&T Bell Laboratories, Holmdel, NJ Indeed. Consider the case of a ten year old automobile located in an area where corrosion is a problem (Cleveland, for example). Will the airbags sitll operate? It will be interesting to watch our legal system in action the first time an airbag fails to operate correctly. Howard G. Page AT&T HO 3D-534, +1 201 949-0366, ..!ihnp4!houem!hgp -- Howard G. Page AT&T HO 3D-534, (201)949-0366, ..!ihnp4!houem!hgp
smh@mhuxl.UUCP (henning) (01/09/86)
> If a seat belt has inertial-lock reels, > one can test them by stomping the brakes or lunging forward in the seat. This brings up a point, what do you do with air bags if you have to use your bakes hard in a non-accident: 1) scrape everyone off the windshield 2) spend $1000 for new air bags
ronc@fai.UUCP (Ronald O. Christian) (01/13/86)
>Boeing gets a very good idea about whether or not a >shear pin is likely to work by a simple algorithm: > 1. Make 100 pins in the same manufacturing run. > 2. Pull 10 of these pins at random and test them. > This, of course, destroys the pins. > 3. If any of the 10 fails, destroy the other 90. > Otherwise, use them. **** Do you really expect GM to test air bags in the same manner? -- -- Ronald O. Christian (Fujitsu America Inc., San Jose, Calf.) ihnp4!pesnta!fai!ronc Oliver's law of assumed responsibility: "If you are seen fixing it, you will be blamed for breaking it."
spw2562@ritcv.UUCP (01/13/86)
In article <443@mhuxl.UUCP> smh@mhuxl.UUCP (henning) writes: >This brings up a point, what do you do with air bags if you have to use >your bakes hard in a non-accident: >1) scrape everyone off the windshield >2) spend $1000 for new air bags 3) Wear a seatbelt... ============================================================================== Steve Wall @ Rochester Institute of Technology Usenet: ..!rochester!ritcv!spw2562 (Fishhook) Unix 4.2 BSD BITNET: SPW2562@RITVAXC (Snoopy) VAX/VMS 4.2