Passenger air bag and putting things on the grab bar safety question

[Jeeperz Kreeperz]

Keep in mind everything becomes a projectile in a hard hit. I know this from experience with a radar detector to the face. Anything attached using a clip, suction cup or velcro will likely become a projectile in addition to anything just laying around.

Amen! That’s why I’d like to get a sense for the deployment zone.

The 67 Designs Universal Phone Mount is much stronger than a clip or velcro. It is a strong spring loaded mechanism, and it requires you to spread the clamp from left to right to open it up. So it’s POSSIBLE that an airbag hit (from right to left) would actually make the clamp hold onto the phone even more strongly...but I don’t think I’d want to risk my face on this weak theory!

I’ve reached out to 67 Designs for input (not expecting anything of substance from them, but thought it was worth a shot). Will keep ya’ll posted.

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[T-rex]

Sorry to resurrect an old thread, but I’m also curious about the deployment zone of the passenger front airbag. The two videos in this thread that show deployment are not Jeep Wrangler JL models. And the one still picture that is a JL, doesn’t show the top left part of the airbag - which is my concern.

I’m using the 67 Designs JL mount for my smartphone - almost identical positioning as shown in their stock photo from their website (see attached pic with phone just to the right of the infotainment screen). Am I asking for projectile trouble?!?! Anyone know where I can find detailed measurements or a picture showing airbag deployment zone? See pic below:

I know you posted this a while back I was just starting to research this and came across the posts. Found this on youtube.

 

[Melny67]

Forum member's JL - Accident not long ago..

Wow I only see a driver side bag. How cheap of FCA not to at least include the passenger side Never seen that in any brand before.

 

[DanW]

Great video!

This has all been said before, but it is worth repeating when analyzing crash test information from the government: Many government crash tests are not so realistic. Most crashes do not occur in a lab with minimal variables. They occur in the real world. Most don't occur into immovable or solid front barriers, either. And certainly, the real world doesn't produce data that tries to minimize the laws of physics, for political reasons.

Point #1: The 2019 Honda Civic has a 5 star safety rating. The 2019 Chevrolet Silverado gets 4 stars. From any angle, at any speed, which would you choose if you were going to crash these two together? I don't think anyone with even the slightest common sense would choose the Civic. So why do they do this? They don't want you choosing larger, less fuel efficient vehicles. Period.

Point #2: Real world injury claim rates. The JK, of which the JL is an evolutionary design, has consistently, year after year, with more than 1,000,000 of them on the road, demonstrated among the lowest injury claim rates of any vehicle on US roads. It simply does not matter what the government crash tests say when you look at this.

Could there be a specific crash where a vehicle doesn't do as well? Sure. Show me a crash where someone got to choose how they were hit.

I've not seen the JL's data for injury claims yet, but I know my insurance cost on it is comparable to a JK, which means very low. The only area where the design might be significantly different than the JK could be with materials used, meaning type and strength of metals.

I want to see a crash test where a Silverado t-bones a civic right in the driver side door at as little as 30mph. Then give the civic a safety rating after they find all the parts of the crash test dummy. Then do another where the Civic t-bones the Silverado. They'll never do it, because it doesn't fit the political objectives.

 

[DanW]

Wow I only see a driver side bag. How cheap of FCA not to at least include the passenger side Never seen that in any brand before.

The bags deploy based on a g-sensor. The impact forces may not have triggered the passenger side seat air bag. It also may have to do with whether there was a passenger seated, or not. There are a number of g-force data points that decide which bags deploy and at what rate.

If you look on the passenger seat, says "Air Bag" on the lower side of the seat, so it is there, unless it is there to personalize the seat for my mother-in-law. But, I don't think they know her that well.

 

[Nomad]

Great video!

This has all been said before, but it is worth repeating when analyzing crash test information from the government: Many government crash tests are not so realistic. Most crashes do not occur in a lab with minimal variables. They occur in the real world. Most don't occur into immovable or solid front barriers, either. And certainly, the real world doesn't produce data that tries to minimize the laws of physics, for political reasons.

Point #1: The 2019 Honda Civic has a 5 star safety rating. The 2019 Chevrolet Silverado gets 4 stars. From any angle, at any speed, which would you choose if you were going to crash these two together? I don't think anyone with even the slightest common sense would choose the Civic. So why do they do this? They don't want you choosing larger, less fuel efficient vehicles. Period.

Point #2: Real world injury claim rates. The JK, of which the JL is an evolutionary design, has consistently, year after year, with more than 1,000,000 of them on the road, demonstrated among the lowest injury claim rates of any vehicle on US roads. It simply does not matter what the government crash tests say when you look at this.

Could there be a specific crash where a vehicle doesn't do as well? Sure. Show me a crash where someone got to choose how they were hit.

I've not seen the JL's data for injury claims yet, but I know my insurance cost on it is comparable to a JK, which means very low. The only area where the design might be significantly different than the JK could be with materials used, meaning type and strength of metals.

I want to see a crash test where a Silverado t-bones a civic right in the driver side door at as little as 30mph. Then give the civic a safety rating after they find all the parts of the crash test dummy. Then do another where the Civic t-bones the Silverado. They'll never do it, because it doesn't fit the political objectives.

Exactly this ^^^

 

[Melny67]

The bags deploy based on a g-sensor. The impact forces may not have triggered the passenger side seat air bag. It also may have to do with whether there was a passenger seated, or not. There are a number of g-force data points that decide which bags deploy and at what rate.

If you look on the passenger seat, says "Air Bag" on the lower side of the seat, so it is there, unless it is there to personalize the seat for my mother-in-law. But, I don't think they know her that well.

Well I am no airbag expert but I thought they all went off when the vehicle experience a crash just in cause of a roll over right after. Well that's good then maybe the sensors on the jl are better at sensing that.

 

[DanW]

Well I am no airbag expert but I thought they all went off when the vehicle experience a crash just in cause of a roll over right after. Well that's good then maybe the sensors on the jl are better at sensing that.

The way I understand it, it would depend on the sensors or accelerometers and the how they are programmed to respond to certain forces and whether it senses s passenger in that seat.
Did the Jeep in that pic roll? Was there a passenger?

 

[KevinD]

I know, old thread, but...

This is a Gladiator, but the JL airbag is the same.
The freeze frame shows the passenger airbag cover splitting at the top third, forcing the bottom 2/3 of the cover over the grab bar. So anything small stowed behind the bar, or hanging below it, won't be ejected by the airbag.

Another shot...

 

[DanW]

Yep, other than haning a CB mic off the grab bar, I don't mess with it. The mic, btw, is below the top of the grab bar. If it were broken loose and projected, it would be downward. I wouldn't put anything above the top line of that grab bar.

I'm always amazed at how many people put feet up on the dash on the highway, right over the airbag cover. (On all cars, not so much on Jeeps, as I haven't seen much of that). Someone will be doing some forceful and involuntary yoga that may involve torn ligaments and tendons when they wreck doing that!

 

[Dkretden]

I am actually surprised that companies make “storage” or “mounting hardware” that are in the direct line of the passenger airbag deployment. I imagine that there is a lawsuit down the road when a passenger loses an eye or has a neck artery slit open.

 

[DanW]

I am actually surprised that companies make “storage” or “mounting hardware” that are in the direct line of the passenger airbag deployment. I imagine that there is a lawsuit down the road when a passenger loses an eye or has a neck artery slit open.

Good luck with those lawsuits. The ones I've seen are Chinese companies.

 

[Nomad]

I’m not sure why anyone would risk it. There are plenty of other places and attachments to store a phone or other small stuff nowhere near the airbags.

 

[DanW]

I’m not sure why anyone would risk it. There are plenty of other places and attachments to store a phone or other small stuff nowhere near the airbags.

The same people who let someone put their feet up on the dash are the ones who don't think about the airbag, at all. Most have no clue where it deploys from.

 

[entropy]

Fuck this. I am removing the cheap cubby on my grab handle, yeah it is very convenient but not worth the risk.

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