Airbag coverage area on a Fiesta?

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Tue 30 Nov 2004 15:18
Airbag coverage area on a Fiesta? - weatherwitch
A question on posted on behalf of my friend :) She wrote off her R reg (98?) Fiesta the other night and I was surprised to hear that although the airbag deployed, it didn't completely cover the steering wheel, therefore she cracked her face on the steering wheel.

She recalls that it didn't cover the wheel at the sides, the areas roughly where you'd hold the wheel and wonders if it doesn't cover this area to prevent arms getting broken or trapped by the bag deploying? Or should it have covered this area too?

As the second owner of the car, she is not aware of the air bag having been replaced so it should be as straight from the factory.

So, I thought I'd ask you on here, is there a specification for the area that a steering wheel airbag should cover during deployment?

Thank you :)
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Tue 30 Nov 2004 19:42
Airbag coverage area on a Fiesta? - IanT
According to Ford ...

"When the air bag(s) deploy, they remain fully inflated for only a fraction of a second and start to deflate immediately, cushioning the occupant. The high speed of inflation along with the surrounding events and noise from the impact can give the impression that the air bag(s) did not deploy to their full extent."

A couple of other points:

1. The 1996-2002 Fiesta driver's airbag has a volume of 30 litres, and the passenger airbag is twice as big at 60 litres. Presumably because of the distances between the occupants and the bags.

2. The 2002-on Fiesta has a "smart" airbag in which the inflation pressure and deployment rate is adjusted according to the severity of the impact. So the airbag won't inflate as much in a smaller impact. I don't know if the earlier Fiesta has this arrangement.

Ian
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Tue 30 Nov 2004 20:00
Airbag coverage area on a Fiesta? - Altea Ego
Its assumed the hands are at 10-2 on the wheel so the bag wont deploy to the sides to prevent burns on the arms. (plus if the arms are at 10-2 the head should be naturally guided centrally to steering wheel airbag)
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Tue 30 Nov 2004 22:09
Airbag coverage area on a Fiesta? - Caveman
I was surprised to hear that although the airbag deployed, it
didn't completely cover the steering wheel, therefore she cracked her face
on the steering wheel.


Isn't the seatbelt supposed to help prevent that?
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Tue 30 Nov 2004 22:14
Airbag coverage area on a Fiesta? - Schnitzel
I think it may be to do with the way some female drivers sit - seat too far forward - far to close to the wheel , sometimes too low too.
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Tue 30 Nov 2004 23:07
Airbag coverage area on a Fiesta? - Civic8
Seating poss has nothing to do with it..airbag is designed to prevent head damage in collision..on certain cars only on frontal impact..ie head thrown in direction of steering wheel/windscreen..sensor says when it goes off.it has been known for them to go off on offset impact.problem lied in offset accident. airbag did not cover offset angle..
--
Steve
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Wed 1 Dec 2004 10:59
Airbag coverage area on a Fiesta? - weatherwitch
Thanks guys, that seems to answer it then.

On the women and sitting far too close to the wheel thing, its probably because some cars seem designed for men with their (usually!) longer legs. My 5 foot tall friend couldn't even reach the pedals to move my 440 volvo even when the seat was as far forward as it would go!
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