Hey, how about front airbags that are also activated by the rear bumper, to prevent whiplash after getting rear-ended?-- Kitchensink, Jan 25 2004 How does whiplash occur? http://www.spine-he...cs/cd/whip/w02.html [half, Oct 04 2004, last modified Oct 05 2004] Tabe Lab's Self-Adjusting Sensory Airbag Technology http://www.inventio...OOTHS/booth211.html"4) It deploys airbags in anticipation of rear-end collision" [half, Oct 04 2004, last modified Oct 05 2004] Mazda's take on whiplash reduction http://www.mazda.co...1999/s05/s5_01.html"The Safety Active Seat uses a new technology to reduce whiplash injury. In a rear collision, the headrest moves forward quickly to support the head of the passenger. This reduces sharp movement of the neck immediately after a collision, greatly reducing the stress to this region of the body. Moreover, the Safety Active Seat uses a seatbelt system that predicts rear-end collisions before they occur and then firmly restrains a passenger's body." [half, Oct 04 2004, last modified Oct 05 2004] I don't see this preventing whiplash...-- swamilad, Jan 25 2004 If you get rear-ended, your car jerks forwards, your head goes backwards, and your body gets pushed back into the seat. Where does an airbag come into it?-- kropotkin, Jan 25 2004 When you overact.-- thumbwax, Jan 25 2004 For a rear end collision, deploying the front airbags will contribute to whiplash rather than reducing it.-- oneoffdave, Jan 25 2004 When you get hit, your car shoots forward and your seat brings you up to speed. If the seat has a decent headrest, it helps to keep your neck intact.
But then, if you had your brake on, or when your car hits the next vehicle, your car suddenly stops, and your seat belt restrains your body while your head snaps forward...
So, since that's like a regular frontal collision, the airbags would help. Yes, yes?-- Kitchensink, Jan 25 2004 Mixed on this. Air bags can cause a lot of damage themselves.-- waugsqueke, Jan 25 2004 "So, since that's like a regular frontal collision, the airbags would help. Yes, yes?" Well, yes it will, but that would be activated by the frontal crash, not the rear end crash.
There appear to be some who agree with the use of airbags in rear end collisions, but before, rather than after the collision according to the second link.
I just adjust my head rests. Well, except for the one vehicle that has no head rests (and no shoulder harness) and the two vehicles that have no headrests, no shoulder harness and no lap belts.-- half, Jan 25 2004 sheesh [half], living life on the edge there, hah? living la vida loca? flying by the seat of your pants, yeehaaa!
you might need activators all around. just keep your hands at 10 and 2, and keep your eyes on your 12 and your 6. one little incindent, and you'll miss the whiplash and go straight to whipcream.
But I'm pretty sure one may suffer additional injuries on the "-lash" portion of the ride, even if only the brakes jerk the car to a stop a few feet down the road. In that case, the front bumper would never activate the bags. It all happens so fast. I just don't think it would hurt [to run activators to the back]. Ah, but that's alot more gold plating for the connectors.
I don't know, maybe it's just a half-baked idea to begin with. And, airbags do kinda make me nervous, too. I still can't bring myself to really lay into the horn.-- Kitchensink, Jan 25 2004 Another problem is that I think the airbag's only really effective for about a second, and this second motion may take longer than that. Seems to me that you could have two activation modes of airbags. The first explosively inflates in a fraction of a second for frontal impact (as is currently done). The second is a slow inflation that takes about a second for rear impacts - this will reduce the airbag inflation related injuries.-- Worldgineer, Jan 25 2004 well said [gineer].-- Kitchensink, Jan 25 2004 random, halfbakery