Buying A New Car - Are Airbags Really Necessary?

[Shipwreck]

I know from a glance at the title that most people would shout out an immediate 'yes'. I am aware that airbags save lives and all the advantages towards them. However...I will be buying a car this year and a few of the models I am looking at only offer airbags for the driver. A passenger/door airbag is not an option.This got me thinking, that if, god forbid, we did have a large accident - what does that mean? I (the driver) am safe...while my family perishes or are badly hurt? Who would want that?Also, I would be driving 99% of the time in Bangkok, probably at pretty low average speeds. In that case an airbag might be more of a liability than a help.Is it really worth the extra 50k for one airbag? All thoughts are welcome.

[Spoonman]

I personally don't care for them, infact I removed the driver's side one from my pick-up when I put a sports steering wheel on.

[katabeachbum]

cars size and general crash safety is IMHO more important, like an Altis Corolla at 800k without airbags is safer than Vios at 700k with airbags

if seat belt is used, damages are significantly reduced with airbag, especially for driver due to steeringwheel/instruments/shape of dashboard

[seekingfriends]

i would rather pay for airbags , than pay 100000 .at bangkok general hospital for a knee or shoulder reconstruction .james hat yai

[seekingfriends]

i think that i would rather have airbags than a sports steering wheel . what about the next owner . how will he get on . . when a 16 wheeler hits him side on . james hat yai sydney

[transam]

If you are a '' real '' hotroder you wouldn't even care about seat belts let alone airbags. When your times up, it's up.

[Spoonman]

i think that i would rather have airbags than a sports steering wheel . what about the next owner . how will he get on . . when a 16 wheeler hits him side on . james hat yai sydney

An air-bag steering wheel offers no protection from a side impact so your point is a wank no matter the vehicle's involved.

However I will keep the sports wheel for my next vehicle and put the OEM bagged wheel back on before I sell.

As an aside, I do like AirBags, they will be replacing the OEM suspension in my pickup soon.

[Shipwreck]

i would rather pay for airbags , than pay 100000 .at bangkok general hospital for a knee or shoulder reconstruction .james hat yai

My work provides complete accident coverage for myself and my family, so hospital bills are not a concern.

Even if I didn't have health insurance, doesn't car insurance have a section about being injured in a crash?

[transam]

i think that i would rather have airbags than a sports steering wheel . what about the next owner . how will he get on . . when a 16 wheeler hits him side on . james hat yai sydney

An air-bag steering wheel offers no protection from a side impact so your point is a wank no matter the vehicle's involved.

However I will keep the sports wheel for my next vehicle and put the OEM bagged wheel back on before I sell.

As an aside, I do like AirBags, they will be replacing the OEM suspension in my pickup soon.

Yep, agree with that.

[katabeachbum]

i think that i would rather have airbags than a sports steering wheel . what about the next owner . how will he get on . . when a 16 wheeler hits him side on . james hat yai sydney

An air-bag steering wheel offers no protection from a side impact so your point is a wank no matter the vehicle's involved.

However I will keep the sports wheel for my next vehicle and put the OEM bagged wheel back on before I sell.

As an aside, I do like AirBags, they will be replacing the OEM suspension in my pickup soon.

are you able to find in LOS AirBags rear suspension for pickups?

Would love to replace front coils in my Vigo with softer Fortuner springs, but a rear airsuspension is needed for both comfort and load capabilty

[katabeachbum]

i would rather pay for airbags , than pay 100000 .at bangkok general hospital for a knee or shoulder reconstruction .james hat yai

My work provides complete accident coverage for myself and my family, so hospital bills are not a concern.

Even if I didn't have health insurance, doesn't car insurance have a section about being injured in a crash?

0 most common, some 50k or 100k. not much

[MJo]

Seatbelts and airbags are worth the money in slow speed accidents in city driving. 200 kph head on with 10 wheeler and your in trouble airbags or not.

[Shipwreck]

I am not against airbags by any means. In fact every car I have ever owned had two.

It is simply the fact that in some particular models I can't get two that makes me think I should have none at all.

Does a car with 0 bags lose resale value? Does the average Thai care that bags are in the car?

[Spoonman]

i think that i would rather have airbags than a sports steering wheel . what about the next owner . how will he get on . . when a 16 wheeler hits him side on . james hat yai sydney

An air-bag steering wheel offers no protection from a side impact so your point is a wank no matter the vehicle's involved.

However I will keep the sports wheel for my next vehicle and put the OEM bagged wheel back on before I sell.

As an aside, I do like AirBags, they will be replacing the OEM suspension in my pickup soon.

are you able to find in LOS AirBags rear suspension for pickups?

Would love to replace front coils in my Vigo with softer Fortuner springs, but a rear airsuspension is needed for both comfort and load capabilty

Have not even looked, I get weekly shipments of stuff from Australia for work so am getting AirRide Aus to spec me a kit and will get it shipped via a work delivery, am going tubbed and 4 link on the rear at the same time.

[transam]

i think that i would rather have airbags than a sports steering wheel . what about the next owner . how will he get on . . when a 16 wheeler hits him side on . james hat yai sydney

An air-bag steering wheel offers no protection from a side impact so your point is a wank no matter the vehicle's involved.

However I will keep the sports wheel for my next vehicle and put the OEM bagged wheel back on before I sell.

As an aside, I do like AirBags, they will be replacing the OEM suspension in my pickup soon.

are you able to find in LOS AirBags rear suspension for pickups?

Would love to replace front coils in my Vigo with softer Fortuner springs, but a rear airsuspension is needed for both comfort and load capabilty

Have not even looked, I get weekly shipments of stuff from Australia for work so am getting AirRide Aus to spec me a kit and will get it shipped via a work delivery, am going tubbed and 4 link on the rear at the same time.

[ETatBKK]

if it is a concern at the time you buy a car ( not even you have the car yet ), YES buy the airbag just for pace of mind :-)

style of driving, is important too ! airbag is engineered for speed of 70km/h ( or 70m/h ). when crash it blows up at the very first second. BUT, if the crash at 140km/h, driver hits the dashboard / steering FASTER at the first 0.5 second, then the airbag explodes at the first second :-( yes, you still get the airbag in-between !

while I drive at 140km/h, I tell myself 'if it comes, it comes' :-)

[katabeachbum]

i think that i would rather have airbags than a sports steering wheel . what about the next owner . how will he get on . . when a 16 wheeler hits him side on . james hat yai sydney

An air-bag steering wheel offers no protection from a side impact so your point is a wank no matter the vehicle's involved.

However I will keep the sports wheel for my next vehicle and put the OEM bagged wheel back on before I sell.

As an aside, I do like AirBags, they will be replacing the OEM suspension in my pickup soon.

are you able to find in LOS AirBags rear suspension for pickups?

Would love to replace front coils in my Vigo with softer Fortuner springs, but a rear airsuspension is needed for both comfort and load capabilty

Have not even looked, I get weekly shipments of stuff from Australia for work so am getting AirRide Aus to spec me a kit and will get it shipped via a work delivery, am going tubbed and 4 link on the rear at the same time.

wow, cool stuff

[Spoonman]

wow, cool stuff

Long term project, I have 2 2005 Colorado's, one is my daily (3.0 TD) the other a project getting slammed on bags with a toyo V8 tubbed with 305 drag radials......... purely a pipe dream at the moment but am slowly gathering everything needed to complete the dream.

[HDRIDER]

I don’t believe you guys, all of you must be on the wrong side of 100 years if you can say it doesn’t matter with airbags, also have you guys ever heard of side airbags??? Don’t sound like it, either you guys are very old and don’t like safety or you have been here so long you don’t care at all about safety for you and your family, airbags do save life’s and that’s a fact otherwise i would not be here today, but you need your safety belt as well, so guys try to get out a little, maybe you also think that a big car is more safe than a small car??????

[transam]

I don't believe you guys, all of you must be on the wrong side of 100 years if you can say it doesn't matter with airbags, also have you guys ever heard of side airbags??? Don't sound like it, either you guys are very old and don't like safety or you have been here so long you don't care at all about safety for you and your family, airbags do save life's and that's a fact otherwise i would not be here today, but you need your safety belt as well, so guys try to get out a little, maybe you also think that a big car is more safe than a small car??????

Perhaps some of us don't care about stuff, me for one. I had street horse power of 700 hp on tap in my 30 year old ride. WHAT'S airbags. People take risks in all shapes and forms. People in their daily work have mega risks EVERY DAY, police, fire fighters, military, race car drivers, the list goes on but if you want to be wrapped up in cotton wool, well thats OK but for some of us we like the a risk element in our life.

[Spoonman]

I don't believe you guys, all of you must be on the wrong side of 100 years if you can say it doesn't matter with airbags, also have you guys ever heard of side airbags??? Don't sound like it, either you guys are very old and don't like safety or you have been here so long you don't care at all about safety for you and your family, airbags do save life's and that's a fact otherwise i would not be here today, but you need your safety belt as well, so guys try to get out a little, maybe you also think that a big car is more safe than a small car??????

MEH, I have been driving for over 20 years, until I moved here in 2006 I have never owned an air bag equipped vehicle, how on earth did I survive all those years.....................

Just goes to show what sort of nanny PC world we are evolving into.

[transam]

I don't believe you guys, all of you must be on the wrong side of 100 years if you can say it doesn't matter with airbags, also have you guys ever heard of side airbags??? Don't sound like it, either you guys are very old and don't like safety or you have been here so long you don't care at all about safety for you and your family, airbags do save life's and that's a fact otherwise i would not be here today, but you need your safety belt as well, so guys try to get out a little, maybe you also think that a big car is more safe than a small car??????

MEH, I have been driving for over 20 years, until I moved here in 2006 I have never owned an air bag equipped vehicle, how on earth did I survive all those years.....................

Just goes to show what sort of nanny PC world we are evolving into.

Nanny cotton wool world for some.

How many bikes have air bags or catch bags, eeeer none. Stop riding, eeeer, no. Hmmmm

[HDRIDER]

I don't believe you guys, all of you must be on the wrong side of 100 years if you can say it doesn't matter with airbags, also have you guys ever heard of side airbags??? Don't sound like it, either you guys are very old and don't like safety or you have been here so long you don't care at all about safety for you and your family, airbags do save life's and that's a fact otherwise i would not be here today, but you need your safety belt as well, so guys try to get out a little, maybe you also think that a big car is more safe than a small car??????

MEH, I have been driving for over 20 years, until I moved here in 2006 I have never owned an air bag equipped vehicle, how on earth did I survive all those years.....................

Just goes to show what sort of nanny PC world we are evolving into.

Nanny cotton wool world for some.

How many bikes have air bags or catch bags, eeeer none. Stop riding, eeeer, no. Hmmmm

Just show what i knew " i had this i had that" TIT,,, but what do you guys have now???

[Spoonman]

I don't believe you guys, all of you must be on the wrong side of 100 years if you can say it doesn't matter with airbags, also have you guys ever heard of side airbags??? Don't sound like it, either you guys are very old and don't like safety or you have been here so long you don't care at all about safety for you and your family, airbags do save life's and that's a fact otherwise i would not be here today, but you need your safety belt as well, so guys try to get out a little, maybe you also think that a big car is more safe than a small car??????

MEH, I have been driving for over 20 years, until I moved here in 2006 I have never owned an air bag equipped vehicle, how on earth did I survive all those years.....................

Just goes to show what sort of nanny PC world we are evolving into.

Nanny cotton wool world for some.

How many bikes have air bags or catch bags, eeeer none. Stop riding, eeeer, no. Hmmmm

Just show what i knew " i had this i had that" TIT,,, but what do you guys have now???

Iam still alive, few severe accidents along the way but still here......... none that an air-bag would have helped.

[PattayaParent]

I don't believe you guys, all of you must be on the wrong side of 100 years if you can say it doesn't matter with airbags, also have you guys ever heard of side airbags??? Don't sound like it, either you guys are very old and don't like safety or you have been here so long you don't care at all about safety for you and your family, airbags do save life's and that's a fact otherwise i would not be here today, but you need your safety belt as well, so guys try to get out a little, maybe you also think that a big car is more safe than a small car??????

I had a high speed accident and rolled my car (3 flips) no airbags and no seatbelts.

Me and my passenger climbed out and had to hitch a ride to the pub.

Edit: my car here doesn't have airbags.

[WarpSpeed]

I don't believe you guys, all of you must be on the wrong side of 100 years if you can say it doesn't matter with airbags, also have you guys ever heard of side airbags??? Don't sound like it, either you guys are very old and don't like safety or you have been here so long you don't care at all about safety for you and your family, airbags do save life's and that's a fact otherwise i would not be here today, but you need your safety belt as well, so guys try to get out a little, maybe you also think that a big car is more safe than a small car??????

MEH, I have been driving for over 20 years, until I moved here in 2006 I have never owned an air bag equipped vehicle, how on earth did I survive all those years.....................

Just goes to show what sort of nanny PC world we are evolving into.

Nanny cotton wool world for some.

How many bikes have air bags or catch bags, eeeer none. Stop riding, eeeer, no. Hmmmm

Just show what i knew " i had this i had that" TIT,,, but what do you guys have now???

Sure glad I didn't get into this thread with all the usual wing nuts lining up.. HD rider you have my sympathies and my admiration..

[Kwasaki]

I don't believe you guys, all of you must be on the wrong side of 100 years if you can say it doesn't matter with airbags, also have you guys ever heard of side airbags??? Don't sound like it, either you guys are very old and don't like safety or you have been here so long you don't care at all about safety for you and your family, airbags do save life's and that's a fact otherwise i would not be here today, but you need your safety belt as well, so guys try to get out a little, maybe you also think that a big car is more safe than a small car??????

MEH, I have been driving for over 20 years, until I moved here in 2006 I have never owned an air bag equipped vehicle, how on earth did I survive all those years.....................

Just goes to show what sort of nanny PC world we are evolving into.

Nanny cotton wool world for some.

How many bikes have air bags or catch bags, eeeer none. Stop riding, eeeer, no. Hmmmm

Just show what i knew " i had this i had that" TIT,,, but what do you guys have now???

Some common sense goes a long way, more than seat belts and airbags and I am no numbnut just lucky I guess those things were not around when I started driving so you young whipper snappers do what ever you want.

[Spoonman]

Sure glad I didn't get into this thread with all the usual numbnuts lining up.. HD rider you have my sympathies and my admiration..

Your lack of implied elitism is appreciated, maybe you should show the same restraint elsewhere.

[WarpSpeed]

Sure glad I didn't get into this thread with all the usual numbnuts lining up.. HD rider you have my sympathies and my admiration..

Your lack of implied elitism is appreciated, maybe you should show the same restraint elsewhere.

I do apply it whenever I deem it necessary...

[HDRIDER]

Whatever you guys have done and do now i still think airbag can save your life,,,if its in the car, maybe you dont care but if you have a family maybe it will save them who knows, and for "bikes dont have airbags" he he what a comment.

and the one, my cars have not had airbags, thats OK if it dont have it you cant use it but for buying a car and say i dont want airbags, well, i would not do it, it could end up save a life, some places in Europe you cant even buy a car without airbags.

but hey keep them comming i can take it (i better not say how many airbags my car has)i will leave it to your old school guys who dont need airbags or anything that might save a life