Den.

Too bad they can't tell if they're on their phones!! But then again, they can check the billing, etc.

I got hit by a guy years ago who messed up both his wrists with the airbag but that was partly because he was on his phone while using a palmtop computer while doing 90 km/h in a 60 runnng a redlight! The FIRST vehicle he hit, he spun around and put her on the median!!

Personally I'd take airbags out altogether as I wear my seatbelt but the safety ***** have taken over protecting the chicken littles of the world to our suffering.

Hope your friend is doing better but can't help but ask, why wouldn't she be concentrating on sueing the other driver instead of Porsche?

amaist

You are better off with airbags used together with seatbelts. Especially now with all sorts of side/head/thorax whatever else airbags they put in the cars. Increases your chances of survival when the idiot juggling his pocket PC and phone slams into you.

MadFox

Bump.

just hated to see the airbag argument fall off the 1st page... isn't there anyone else out there that thinks PAG airbags are inherently defective and PAG thus wants to have lawsuits/arbitrations that drag on for years and years? (apologies to droptop! Pass the lemon kool-aid please).

sat40th911

Do you all remember the Chryslar commercials when airbahs were first introduced into main stream cars. It had two Chryslars speeding at each other and colliding (I guess at least above 30mph) head on. After the collision, the driver gets out of the wrecked car and goes on to talk about how Chryslar is putting the new safety technology in all of its cars (for a price back then). The driver is unscathed and maybe even did not have his seatbelt on. This commercial made it seem that the airbag was a pillow and not an explosion. Everyday American does not know the explosive force of an airbag. Thank God I do not have first hand experience, even after taking out a deer at 35 mph which caused 5k in damage to my Land Rover.

99firehawk

ive been there, if you want to fell it do this
get a phone book hold it up to your face now have a freind hit the phone book with a baseball bat
should feel alot like an air bag

Den.

It's sad that most of us, (well the rest as most HERE are enthusiasts so I can't put you in that category obviously) are so concerned with "safety" features that we don't actually try avoiding the accident in the first place.

It's like North Americans in general have been brainwashed into not even TRYING anymore to DRIVE!! No one cares anymore if a car is COMPETANT. They just want to know if it's MP3 and Bluetooth capable and had 10 airbags and stability control. My Mother in law is looking for a new car and all the "extras" confuse her and it's hard to explain to her that in her case MOST of it is CRAP.

Funny how we go out and crash into someone but it's the MANUFACTURER'S fault we get hurt. Number one rule of driving. Don't drive any faster than you can see room to stop. And yeah, I've had close calls too. We all have I'd say. But Mr and Mrs "average" driver (which isn't a GOOD thing to be!!) has NO idea of it!!

3 point turn, parallel park and here's your license.

If the airbags didn't deploy and she walked away, I'd say there's no problem.

MadFox

Ahhhh, you don't have kids that have recently gotten their license.. no parallel parking anymore (in Alabama anyway).

Den.

I dread the day my kids get theirs. I know a kid that just got his. He told me he drove 8 hours on a similator and only 4 hours "in car". Even HE says "How can I learn to drive on a VIDEO GAME??"

My wife's Mother is trying to FORCE her to drive, (pressuring and guilting her as "Mommy" needs a driver soon for an operation) and I told my wife that our kids will not be ALLOWED in a car with her if she gets it,. Nor will I ride with her. I told her all we need is yet another terrified "driver" on the roads and I will NOT support her driving.

She does not want to drive and says she may try to fail the test on purpose. I told her to run stop signs and not to signal and she replied "Are you kidding? Then they'll pass me for sure!!"

So, you mean the test is actually EASIER now there?

I know it was noything when I got mine.

Here they have graduated licenses which of course make even worse drivers than the old system. Anyways, tangent starting here. (Pet peeve.) Sorry.

Dennis C

Wow. I'll bet that was a scary experience. Good thing you weren't driving with one hand on the wheel, across the top - you might have a broken arm too.

I would think that you can contact Porsche and claim that this is a safety issue, and that they should replace it at no charge. You may not have much luck on a 1991 vehicle, but it's worth a try. I have had luck with other manufacturers on "out of warranty" cars by playing the safety card.

ltc

Porsche will likely point to the service guide and ask about airbag inspection and replacement intervals and when/if they were performed by a Porsche dealer.