Are they going to save some lives in the real world?

 

they're only like, what, 500 bucks? i'd rather spend the money than take the risk.

 

Same here. It's a small uptick for the potential protection. Though it's like insurance, hopefully you'll never have to use it.

 

To be honest, I have no idea why some people don't order side air bags. They could save your life one day.

 

i believe side air bags will lower your insurance rate, no? anybody get lower insurance rate due to side air bags?

 

now that you have ask that question, you are leaving your self open for Irony. I would purchase them.[

 

more than saving lives, they'll probably reduce injuries. how often does a person get broad-sided to the point where side air bags made a difference. the question that should be asked is why the hell nissan didn't make this a standard feature. kinda sucks we have to pay money to keep our heads from rolling

it's kinda like healthcare in the united states, it's their if you have the money.

 

Air bags save lives...its better for resale and for your life.

Dont be short sighted or nickel and dime a sports car.

Just do it as MJ once said while he was here in Chicago

 

Not to sound like a commercial but

side airbags: $569

your brain: priceless

 

That's why I asked the question. If it is going to be a major saftey upgrade why wouldn't they include it standard?

Also, that one Sun Set that was T-boned by the 4X4, said the side air bags didn't even work.

This is the best advice IMO.
But then, why not pay an extra 2k to upgrade to the Performance and get the VDC!
I need to get one of those money trees!

 

Now ask your self... With all the people driving SUV's like sports cars, is it worth having side air bags?? I beleive so that's why I chose them in my new "Z".. $569 is a small price to pay for saving you from serious or deadly injury if one of these 3 ton monsters hits you broadside...

Steve (k2we) Dobbs Ferry, NY

Touring/6MT/Chrome Silver/mats & Side air bags...

 

The insurance break will pay for them in a few years. That's how I see it. They're 500 bucks and that's darn cheap for what you get. They may save your life or prevent serious injury AND you'll get an insurance discount on top of it. That's a win-win situation, if you ask me...

 

Answer: Money.

Answer: Side air bags are for there when other people screw up and hit you. VDC is there if you yourself screw up. I dont drive like a mad man. I have driven a sports car before, but I have never pushed its limits and I dont plan to on this one. If I were, or if I lived in snow country, I would get VDC.

 

My insurance (Geico) doesn't give more discounts for more airbags.. its a simple Y/N check with Geico. Having front+side+head = same as just front.

 

Just my opinion, but I dont' think they're needed. I think the standard front air bags are good enough. If someone hits you from the side, a little air bag is not gonna save you, you better hope the door is reinforced enough to not crush you on impact. Air bags can themselves be dangerous, one of my relatives was in an accident where most likely she would not have been injured, but the air bag came out and broke her nose. Don't get me wrong, I think air bags are needed, but I think side air bags are there just to make you "feel" safe. If they were so important wouldn't the government require them as standard features as they do for front air bags?

 

Side Impact head injuries are the worst. I cannot recall directly, however, I watched a program on crashes and the Institute for Highway Safety was on there. You know the guy who does all the offset frontal crashes with the funny accent. They said something close to that 70% of all highway fatalities were caused from severe head trauma from the side. The body can take it from the front, but not from the side. Same with concussions in pro football. Side hits to the head are bad, real bad.

It is worth it. My Bimmer came with side head curtains, and I think all luxury brands are placing them in.

Get them, really, how much is your life worth to you?

(I ask that same question to my friends who don't wear their helmets when they ride motorcycles (squids))

Drake.

check this link:
http://cbs.sportsline.com/b/page/pre...085894,00.html

 

I wanted them but was kind of upset when I found out that they were in the seat and not the door because I bought Sparco seats so I will need to take them out anyway. But I guess I can still tell the insurance company I have them.

 

For me, any safety options that can potentially safe me from MAJOR injuries, I think it's worth it.. $500 is not bad for curtain airbags, most of the cars don't even have that option yet..

 

Not to be the devil's advocate, again, but there is some debate even as to if regular front airbags are effective. Remember the recent discussions about injuries to kids and shorter people. My mom for example, sits about 8 inches from the steering wheel, and would really get walloped if the airbag deployed.

I've seen the results of many accidents now, and I think the best safety devices far and away are seatbelts and owning a big car. As it is, plenty of people don't wear seatbelts, I'm not sure how many of you remember that thread. As to the mass of the vehicle, sure your giant SUV might save your life, but at the expense of the guy driving the Mini.

I'm always amazed when I see the pics the EMT's bring in of these mangled cars and by the lack of injuries to their occupants.

 

Airbags are OK for most older children and small adults and can save their life! The popular notion that airbags and children are dangerous is untrue. People hear about some children getting killed or injured by an air bag and they generalize that airbags are bad for children. If the person is old enough to legally sit in the front of a Z in the first place, then the airbag will do more good than harm if they are properly restrained. And that's the whole point. Airbags save thousands of lives a year and cause injury or death in rare circumstances only. There have been only 87 deaths in nearly 2 million air bag deployments.
Modern airbags are even safer than the ones just a few year ago.

The bottom line is: Driving your car is the single most dangerous activity you will perform. Minimize you risk by sitting back about 10" from the air bag, especially if you're a small person and always wear your seat belt. Air bags don't work properly if you're not wearing your seat belt. Also, seat belts help you maintain control of your car in emergency maneuvers. The Z's seat belts have pretensions (they tighten up if you get into an accident). Wear your seatbelt over your hips (not your abdomen) and across your shoulder and chest (not on your neck). Children should sit in the back of the car. If they must sit in the front, follow the guidelines below.

Please read here for more information and make your own informed decision: http://www.nhtsa.com/airbags/brochure/

To summarize (from tbcz Moderator) at
https://my350z.com/forum/showthread....hlight=airbags

"Most air bag injuries are minor cuts, bruises, or abrasions and are far less serious than the skull fractures and brain injuries that air bags prevent. However, 87 people have been killed by air bags as of November 1, 1997. These deaths are tragic, but rare events -- there have been about 1,800,000 air bag deployments as of that same date. The one fact that is common to all who died is NOT their height, weight, sex, or age. Rather, it is the fact that they were too close to the air bag when it started to deploy."

**********

"Almost all of the 49 children who died were improperly restrained or positioned. 12 were infants under age 1 who were riding in rear-facing infant seats in front of the passenger air bag. When placed in the front seat, a rear-facing infant seat places an infant's head within a very few inches of the passenger air bag. In this position, an infant is almost certain to be injured if the air bag deploys. Rear-facing infant seats must ALWAYS be placed in the back seat. The other 37 children ranged in age from 1 to 9 years; most were 7 or under. Twenty nine of them were totally unrestrained. This includes 4 children who were sitting on the laps of other occupants. The remaining 8 children included some who were riding with their shoulder belts behind them and some who were wearing lap and shoulder belts, but who also should have been in booster seats because of their small size and weight. Booster seat use could have improved shoulder belt fit and performance. These various factors allowed the 37 children to get too close to the air bag when it began to inflate."

**********

"How do I best protect children? Never place a rear-facing infant seat in the front seat if the air bag is turned on. Always secure a rear-facing seat in the back seat. Children age 12 and under should ride in the back seat. While almost all of the children killed by an air bag were 7 years old or younger, a few older children have been killed. Accordingly, age 12 is recommended to provide a margin of safety. There are instances when children must sit in the front, because the vehicle has no rear seat, there are too many children for all to ride in back, or a child has a medical condition that requires monitoring. If children must sit in the front seat, they should use the seat belts and/or child restraint appropriate for their weight or size (see the table at the end of this brochure) and sit against the back of the vehicle seat. The vehicle seat should be moved as far back from the air bag as practical. Make sure the child's shoulder belt stays on. If adult seat belts do not fit properly, use a booster seat. Also, children must never ride on the laps of others."

**********

"C A U T I O N : If you allow children to ride in the front seat while unrestrained or improperly restrained, and especially if you sit with a child on your lap, you are putting them at serious risk, with or without an air bag. Turning off the air bag is not the safe answer. It would eliminate air bag risk but not the likelihood that in a crash an unrestrained child would fly through the air and strike the dashboard or windshield, or be crushed by your body."

**********

"Two risk groups have a high enough risk that they would definitely be better off with an on-off switch:

Infants in rear-facing infant seats.

Drivers or passengers with unusual medical conditions.

Two other risk groups may be better off with an air bag on-off switch:

Children ages 1 to 12.

Drivers who cannot get back 10 inches."


Here is a quote from the document "Procedure for getting an on/off switch":

"NHTSA is also undertaking a campaign in conjunction with safety groups, vehicle manufacturers and state and local authorities to promote increased use of all types of occupants restraints. NHTSA is urging motorists to use child restraints and seat belts and place children in the back seat, whenever possible, as well as spreading the word about the benefits of air bags for most people. Proper use of the restraint(s) most appropriate to the weight and age of each child fatally injured to date by air bags would have saved all or almost all of them. While increasing numbers of parents are placing their children in the back seat or ensuring that they are properly secured in the front seat, much consumer education work remains to be done.

Disturbingly, most of the fatally-injured children were allowed to ride in the front without any type of restraint whatsoever. And, as of July 15, 1997, five out of the last seven fatally injured children aged 1 to 12 were simply "held in place" on the lap of a front seat passenger. There were no similar fatalities before December 1996. It is not known whether the sudden appearance of fatalities under these particular circumstances is mere chance or a response to the publicity given child air bag fatalities last fall. It is known that the combined effects of the risk of an air bag to an unrestrained child, and the weight that an adult places on a child during a frontal crash can make the decision to attempt to hold a child in place a fatal one. Children should ride fully restrained, and in the back seat whenever possible."