Hello List,
Been catching up on the mail. At least I've been able to keep the deluge
downloaded most of the time and been reading bits and pieces. Gary Edwards
knows basically what happened as I advised him by email likely about the
time he was traveling to Indianapolis.
Did the "Airbag Bash" just after noon on Wednesday, Sept. 4th at a traffic
signal intersection less than a mile from home. With light having just
turned green no more than about 3-4 seconds, an oncoming light truck turned
left into me as I was going straight through the
intersection. Result: head-on collision. Middle of solid metal truck
bumper impales itself on the left front of my large 4-Dr sedan.
In just a few milliseconds, at about 1-125th - 1/250th shutter speed:
1. Both vehicles decelerate from about 25 MPH to zero in about 3 feet.
2. Seatbelt tensioner lock up pinning me into the seat.
3. Both airbags simultaneously deploy in mine (the truck is too old) with
a deafening explosion; the driver airbag bashes me with full force. The
airbag system was made prior to sensor systems allowing for "reduced force"
deployment.
4. Front windshield is blown out by the heavy passenger front airbag cover.
5. Hood unlatches, folds in half and raises itself on its counter-weight
pistons.
6. Entire left front corner of sedan is demolished from center of bumper
to left front wheel well. Cast engine mounts bend and lower steering
column on engine side of firewall partially collapses (telescopes). Engine
cradle deforms and bends as do engine compartment struts and the upper
radiator mount.
7. Lower dash collides with my right knee as passenger compartment begins
to deform.
8. Cargo net in trunk is ripped from its mounts by the mass of several
objects in it: 1-qt. oil bottle, jumper cables and emergency flashlight.
Because the truck impacted in the middle of its bumper, that is folded and
pushed back into the radiator impaling it on the truck engine. A
magnificently violent Physics lesson in Analytical Mechanics regarding
kinetic energy and momentum. Quite fortunately, neither of the truck
occupants claimed any injuries on the scene and I am merely among the
"walking wounded." Still mystified as to what exactly hit my right kneecap
with some force. Only thing I've been able to determine is the lower dash
which must have struck it and then flexed back some with the "memory"
properties of the metal under it. It wasn't until the next day that muscle
tension and general lower-level aches set in.
BTW, a word of advice:
*****NEVER***** put anything whatsoever on top of an airbag cover, or on
top of the dash above the airbag location, or in the path of one. If
something is there, it will be propelled at extremely high velocity if the
airbag deploys. This definitely, without question, includes propping ones
feet on top of the dash. Airbag deployment is a violent explosion that
inflates it to complete rigidity within a few milliseconds.
Wouldn't wish the aftermath of dealing with insurance companies on
anyone. Without question, the older truck is a total loss. My sedan was
borderline until its damage assessment, and then it was declared a total
loss. Likely there would have been some hidden damages found given impact
point, and exterior damage to the drive train and steering gear. I now
have a file two inches (5 cm) thick with all manner of documentation and
"dead tree" correspondence; a testament to the "bureaucracy" of a vehicle
collision.
Very marginal OM content:
Went out to the wrecking yard where the local police department had towed
it early the next morning to recover my personal property and photographed
it using the OM-4. Glad I did. There were some things I didn't notice
until examining the photographs. Wish I had been photographing something else.
-- John
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