Date:         Sun, 01 Dec 1996 09:27:44 -0800
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@vanagon.com>
From:         Lawrence Johnson <ljohnson@halhinet.on.ca>
Subject:      Re: air bag option

Who are we going to write to when the computer makes a mistake?

> ..........I'll write my stupid government people. 

Larry
'86 Syncro Westy
________________________________________________________________________
Tonya Pope wrote:
> 
> How's this for a new twist on the air bags.  As opposed to the passenger
> side 'switch', there should be a sensor in the passenger seat to let the
> puter know if someone large enough to benefit from the airbag is sitting
> there.  For example, there must be 100 pounds or more sitting there for
> the airbag to deploy in an accident.  This would be beneficial in two
> ways.  1)  Small children, weighing under 100 lbs, would not set the
> sensor off, so the bag would not deploy.  They would be protected from
> the force of the airbag.  2)  The airbag would not needlessly deploy
> when there is only a driver in the vehicle.  Do you know how expensive
> it is to get the durn thing stuffed back in the dash?  If no one is
> sitting there, it doesn't need to go off.  If a child is sitting there,
> it shouldn't go off.  And an adult wouldn't get hurt because the
> theoretical 'switch' was turned off.
> 
> I personally think that this is the best option.  The 100 lb mark was
> purely theoretical.  I know some adults weigh less than this and some
> children weigh more.  But, it seems like a good guess of an acceptable
> mark.  I'll write my stupid government people.  Anybody else?
> 
> Tonya
> 87 Vanagon GL Wolfs
> 74 S. Beetle
> 97 Neon