2010 Chevrolet Camaro curtain airbags deploy during donuts

[DJM83]

Originally Posted by Car Advice

The driver and passenger curtain airbags of a 2010/2011 Chevrolet Camaro have spontaneously deployed after a man was attempting to drift the car during a driving event in America. The airbags were actuated after a swift change of direction at the end of a slide.

Originally Posted by Car Advice

It’s not very often that an American V8 sports car decides, on its own, that it no longer wants to take part in burnouts and drifting, but it seems some muscle cars have a mind of their own and want to be a bit more sensible.

Both the driver and passenger were reportedly fine after the sudden bursts inflated near their heads, however, the woman riding in the passenger seat was said to have received minor burns from the explosive nature of the airbag going off.

An official reason for the deployment hasn’t been confirmed, and it is unknown if there is a warning in the terms of use in the owner’s manual for such potentials. Reports suggest it had something to do with the accelerometers and sensors used for the airbags.

If you notice in the video, the moment the airbags deploy is the same time the Camaro shifts its weight under a sudden release of the accelerator, which would have caused a big spike in lateral g-force. You certainly wouldn’t want this to happen if you’re travelling at high speed on a track. GM spokesman Alan Adler responded to the incident in a recent Jalopnik report, saying,

Originally Posted by Alan Alder

“It is unusual to have this occur. However, it is possible for a driver to create conditions where the airbag sensors believe a rollover is imminent. This can lead to an unwanted air bag deployment.

“On rollover side curtain bags, the vehicle’s rollover sensing system is looking for a certain set of factors that ‘predict’ a vehicle is going to roll over. The airbag system cannot wait until it is too late to deploy the airbags. Drifting or creating a situation that has a certain combination of speed and vehicle angle can lead to an unwanted airbag deployment.”

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TpL4V...layer_embedded

[jpd80]

Pity it didn't deploy in the showroom, that could have lead to another Mustang sale...

[Neale]

Woops

[FPV+fteT3]

GM have announced Harold Scrubby was appointed to the design team prior to this incident...that will stop them hoons...

[Franco Cozzo]

They would have been deaf for a good 30 seconds too and ears ringing for ages, airbags are so bloody loud.

[v8falconsrule]

i always thought muscle cars were meant to deploy funbags, not airbags....

[madmelon]

Originally Posted by v8falconsrule

i always thought muscle cars were meant to deploy funbags, not airbags....

[GT-Pete]

Originally Posted by Big Damo

They would have been deaf for a good 30 seconds too and ears ringing for ages, airbags are so bloody loud.

With a helmet on I am sure they would be fine..... would have taken them by surprise though!

[TheInterceptor]

Well, least they know it works!

[burnz]

Originally Posted by v8falconsrule

i always thought muscle cars were meant to deploy funbags, not airbags....

"classic"..ha ha

[HULK EF]

could have atleast stopped and done a standstill.. lol

[kpcart]

they should use this in every car as an anti hooning device - and only let it electronically be cancelled out when the cars gps system detects that the owner has taken their car to a racetrack, and not a public road.

[Dr Smith]

Would that be covered by warranty or would the dealer say they all do that....?

[2011G6E]

You have to remember that airbags in yank cars have always been set to go off at a lower speed and lower impact that Australian designed ones.

Many years ago here in the outback test areas, some of the initial test cars with airbags using Yank settings would go off over a good old typical Aussie pothole hit at highway speeds. The reason is obvious...in an American car in america, they have to allow for the tool exercising his freedom to suffer head injuries by not wearing a seatbelt like a normal human being in another country would...so they have to go off at lower speeds to allow for unrestrained passengers.

[Dr Smith]

Originally Posted by 2011G6E

You have to remember that airbags in yank cars have always been set to go off at a lower speed and lower impact that Australian designed ones.

Many years ago here in the outback test areas, some of the initial test cars with airbags using Yank settings would go off over a good old typical Aussie pothole hit at highway speeds. The reason is obvious...in an American car in america, they have to allow for the tool exercising his freedom to suffer head injuries by not wearing a seatbelt like a normal human being in another country would...so they have to go off at lower speeds to allow for unrestrained passengers.

All very ture however I would imagine that based on everything in the video surely any GM & GMH test driver would have subjected their cars to far greater punishment. Maybe just faulty sensors. Although I'd assume curtain airbags would deploy on both side if the "brains" thought a roll over was about to occur and it didn't seem like enough sideways forces were being generated to cause the sensors to trip. Who knows.

[2011G6E]

I do know that certain vehicles have g-sensors and position sensors in them...some Mercedes convertibles have roll bars which "pop up" into place in a minute time period if it thinks the car is about to roll over, and Harley Davidson bikes have an engine cut-out where if the bike gets more than some degree of angle...I think it's 75 degrees tilted over...the engine cuts out automatically.

Maybe the Camaro has something similar?

[geckoGT]

Originally Posted by kpcart

they should use this in every car as an anti hooning device - and only let it electronically be cancelled out when the cars gps system detects that the owner has taken their car to a racetrack, and not a public road.

Yep, so any form of emergency direction change still ends in an insurance claim (replacing the airbag units and interior trim), rather than avoiding one. Then all our insurance premiums go up, great.