So i'm lookin into gettin a Camaro and my mom's worried cuz it doesnt have an airbag but I don't have money to get a 91 or 92 w/bags. she thinks i can get bags from one of those and put it in the one i'm gonna buy. I told her it'd be too expensive and probably hard to do and I'd rather get a roll cage put in instead. Is it possible to swap bags in? How much work is it to put a cage in (besides having to get someone to weld it)?

 

Slavic Steamer,

Forget about the conversion of a non-SIR equipped vehicle. Installing the bag and gas generator is not the biggest problem. There are two controls, separate control circuits, multiple inertia sensors, impact sensors, wheel speed sensors, about a quarter-mile of extra wiring, and probably a few other things I am overlooking.

What you do need to remember is that an inflatable restraint may offer some protection in an accident, they are only effective when used in conjucntion with belts. They can actually be more dangerous in some situations, especially the pre-1996 units.

Another thing to remember is that inflatable restraints can offer a false sense of security. GM tested and installed air bags in vehicles as early as 1969, long before anyone else considered using them. Their testing over several years led them to conclude that air bags are not safe, and not effective alone. The reason that air bags are now required is that most states supported the passive restraint laws proposed by the federal government, mostly becausee the individual states couldn't enfore mandatory seat belt laws. The feds, in their infinite wisdom, concluded that air bags were beter than nothing to protect people who wouldn't protect themselves. Now they are on the bandwagon to force manufacturers to redesign the units to make them "safer", which means they are less effective in most situations where they might otherwise actually have done some good.

And if that doesn't convince you, consider the most dangerous type of automobile operation there is - racing. To date, no race car has been equipped with air bags. Instead, they use cages and multi-point harnesses. They routinely collide with wals, barricades, and each other at speeds over 200 MPH, and more often than not, just walk away from the wrecked vehicle. I might be more receptive if you could show me an air bag that is effective at those inertial loads (at least one that wouldn't kill you on deployment with those forces). I didn't think so.

A strong chassis, with a partial cage, and a good restraint that you actually WEAR is your best protection. Avoiding the situations at all is the most effective solution, but sometimes accidents hapen despite your best efforts.

If you want to, have her email me at the link at the top of the page. I have more empirical data on the safety and effectiveness of inflatable restraints in vehicles. I'm probably older than she is anyway, so she should at least show a little respect for her elders and listen for a while...