Passenger Airbag Dissabling

[ScarletFever]

On MGR.org, the perenial subject of disabling the passenger airbag has come up again.

Whilst typing up the usual response it occurred to me that maybe we are missing the point a bit.

Why do we want to disable the bag and risk accidental deployment/the entire system going into safe mode when surely if it were to deploy somewhere else, say the footwell for instance, it wouldn't be an issue?

Rather than hot wiring the SRS system, move the airbag either inside the dash (non-aircon models) or attached to the underside of the glovebox pointing down inot the footwell. With a baby seat fitted there will be no feet in the footwell to get (potentially) burned anyway.

Seems to me that this would solve a lot of problems...

Opinions?

[Rob Bell]

I think that relocating the airbag would actually be potentially dangerious. For example, if you were to locate it as you suggest - to fire into the foot well, it could actually fire with enough strength to damage joints or even break bones if someone were sitting in the passenger seat and just happened to have their legs in the wrong place.

It's a theoretical risk of course. It's almost impossible to predict all possibilities - afterall, it has been known for standard fit airbags deploying as designed and yet killing an occupant. Nasty stuff.

Suggesting relocation could actually open you up to liability...

... you could regard this as a boring answer, but really I wouldn't want to suggest an option like this.

Either you do nothing, or you fit an de-activator switch - of which there are a few on the market.

Best play safe rather than sorry.

[ScarletFever]

Good points i suppose - it's a real thorny issue the passenger airbag - i'm so pleased i never specified it, 8 years on and there still isn't an acceptable solution.

[NeilStothert]

This is an area where MGRG must improve. Although auto disabling is expensive and limited to top end Mercs etc a simple key operated switch such as on (dare I say it) Jennie's GTV would be cheap enough. Luckily Jennie has no such intention of ever requiring the disabling function

In the MINI I'm more at risk of injury from all the airbags in a collision than the impact itself

[Rob Bell]

I didn't realise that the Alfa had a disabler switch? Neat touch. As mentioned before, there is a US product that Paul Nothard was looking into for his F for when bambino was going to act as co-pilot

Not sure whether he followed through on that purchase? It was a little pricey for a key, an LED and a resistor...