# How hard would you have to hit a bumper to deploy the airbag? **URL:** \ **Category:** General Discussion\ **Created:** [December 16, 2023, 3:18am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/how-hard-would-you-have-to-hit-a-bumper-to-deploy-the-airbag/194032 "2023-12-16T03:18:07Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 7\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![jtsanders](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/c2a13f/32.png) [@jtsanders](https://community.cartalk.com/u/jtsanders)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2023, 3:03pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/how-hard-would-you-have-to-hit-a-bumper-to-deploy-the-airbag/194032/21 "2023-12-17T15:03:28Z")
No handbrake, no ice, no snow, not even a wet road. I’d drive fast into the turn and keep my foot on the gas to pull the back end out of the skid. The Austin had a low center of gravity and the wheels were at the corners. ---
**Author:** ![bing](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/bing/32/4619_2.png) [@bing](https://community.cartalk.com/u/bing)\ **Post date:** [December 19, 2023, 3:58am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/how-hard-would-you-have-to-hit-a-bumper-to-deploy-the-airbag/194032/22 "2023-12-19T03:58:37Z")
I was a reacher fan and read all his books, but then the last one I read I just could not finish it. Somewhere in a rural town, sheisters taking advantage of an elderly couple. But I just got tired of his continual unnecessary breaking of knee caps. Just not necessary to make the point. I’m not sure of his weaponry knowledge either now or his money management. So just got tired of it. Silva is totally off my list too now after his last book. Off the deep end. Too bad. I love sanfords books too and discussed Israely digs, but it’s the same tired formula so lost interest. I’ve been to all their book signings too. I agree the explosions are just tiresome trying to make up for bad writing and poor plots, however somewhere on YouTube they showed the damage running into a truck or something pulling a loaded trailer. The Tesla truck immediately erupted into a ball of flames. Not so with the other trucks and most would have been survivable. ---
**Author:** ![LoudThunder](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/loudthunder/32/27769_2.png) [@LoudThunder](https://community.cartalk.com/u/LoudThunder)\ **Post date:** [December 19, 2023, 9:51pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/how-hard-would-you-have-to-hit-a-bumper-to-deploy-the-airbag/194032/23 "2023-12-19T21:51:47Z")
Well that explains it… When asked why he had to hit him so hard? Reacher replies at 1:04, “I don’t hit soft…” Air bag scene. [![](https://global.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/original/3X/4/1/41e634a8b6c4e695d115ddce90cc4d0fa332099e.jpeg "REACHER Season 2 - Official Trailer | Prime Video") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tC-rRhQcnlI&t=74s) ---
**Author:** ![sheridanpaul](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c2a13f/32.png) [@sheridanpaul](https://community.cartalk.com/u/sheridanpaul)\ **Post date:** [December 20, 2023, 12:56pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/how-hard-would-you-have-to-hit-a-bumper-to-deploy-the-airbag/194032/24 "2023-12-20T12:56:41Z")
Hands (note plural) no higher up than 9 and 3 o’clock, better is at 8 & 4. Don’t want to knock your teeth out with your own knuckles! ---
**Author:** ![bing](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/bing/32/4619_2.png) [@bing](https://community.cartalk.com/u/bing)\ **Post date:** [December 21, 2023, 3:13am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/how-hard-would-you-have-to-hit-a-bumper-to-deploy-the-airbag/194032/25 "2023-12-21T03:13:05Z")
Sheriff says to tuck your thumbs in too so they won’t get broken from the bag. Just remembering the old days. Always unintended consequences from people doing everything to keep us safe. Helmets, throat guards, knee pads. We have a way to go. Mouth guards on the helmet will protect the teeth. ---
**Author:** ![TheWonderful90s](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/thewonderful90s/32/29584_2.png) [@TheWonderful90s](https://community.cartalk.com/u/TheWonderful90s)\ **Post date:** [December 22, 2023, 1:07am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/how-hard-would-you-have-to-hit-a-bumper-to-deploy-the-airbag/194032/26 "2023-12-22T01:07:04Z")
> [@LoudThunder](#): > > a front airbag will typically deploy when the crash is the equivalent of an impact into a rigid wall at 10-12 mph. For belted occupants, most airbags will deploy at a higher threshold — about 16 mph I didn’t know that this influenced how the airbags deploy. Do you know which vehicles do this? > [@LoudThunder](#): > > “The hand at 12 o’clock on the steering wheel” occurred years ago to a neighbor; Sounds like the first generation airbags. A lot of injuries like this happened, and a lot of lives were saved in severe head on accidents as well. Now they’re depowered since the regulations to protect non belted drivers has been reduced. They did something like put much larger vents in the airbags to deflate them and reduced the output of the charge but made it burn longer so the airbags kind of deflate right away and will vent off the gasses if someone is up against it when it deploys. Must be why people get burned by them if their hand is by the vent hole. A person can’t kick a bumper hard enough to deploy the airbag. But some cars have the sensor up high on the mostly plastic grille, so someone could kick that. But I think there is a safety in the airbag unit as well. A deer is able to do it at not too high of a speed though. An airbag has to deploy right away during a collision; before it is possible to determine how severe the accident is. If there is too much delay, then the people could move too far forward and begome dangerously close to the airbag when it deploys. ---
**Author:** ![LoudThunder](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/loudthunder/32/27769_2.png) [@LoudThunder](https://community.cartalk.com/u/LoudThunder)\ **Post date:** [December 22, 2023, 1:39am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/how-hard-would-you-have-to-hit-a-bumper-to-deploy-the-airbag/194032/27 "2023-12-22T01:39:50Z")
> [@TheWonderful90s](#): > > I didn’t know that this influenced how the airbags deploy. Do you know which vehicles do this? I do not know which vehicles have belted/unbelted occupant deployment thresholds, but I image all do to some extent as the manufactures do not design their own systems but buy them from third party manufacturers, and those manufacturers probably get their sub-systems from many of the same places… The air bag manufacturers biggies are: Logistick, Inc., Superior Spring & Manufacturing Co., Joyson Safety Systems, Daystar. And more… But, if you own a 2020 to 2022 Toyota Avalon, Camry, Highlander, RAV4, Sienna or Corolla, and some hybrids of those models, then you do not have to worry about “Reacher” or any other “Creature” possibly setting off your air bag as about one million of these vehicles are being recall now as a defect may prevent your air bags from deploying… > **[Toyota recalls 1 million vehicles for defect that may prevent air bags from...](https://www.npr.org/2023/12/20/1220731384/toyota-recall-defect-air-bags)** > > Toyota said a defect could cause airbags not to deploy, increasing the risk of injury. The vehicles include Avalons, Camrys, Highlanders, RAV4s, Siennas and Corollas for model years 2020 to 2022. [Previous page](https://community.cartalk.com/t/how-hard-would-you-have-to-hit-a-bumper-to-deploy-the-airbag/194032.md?page=1)