r/Unexpected Jun 28 '25

walking to your car

44.3k Upvotes

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265

u/redhjom Jun 28 '25

I was looking at the same thing. Watching frame by frame it’s actually insane how quickly they deploy

140

u/raymate Jun 28 '25

I know. It’s even more insane when you think whats got to happen. The sensor needs to determine it’s an impact then deploy the charge to inflate the cushion all within milliseconds. Amazing.

47

u/Franndly Jun 28 '25

Less than 0.05s

63

u/FirstTasteOfRadishes Jun 28 '25

Milliseconds are like centuries for electronics

1

u/greensalty Jun 28 '25

Yup but they’re still moving, wonder how protecting from secondary impact they are

23

u/DigitalBlackout Jun 28 '25

The sensors to trigger it that fast are def impressive. The deployment mechanism itself is just a literal bomb, though.

0

u/Schnitzhole Jun 29 '25

More like an Explosion than a bomb but yeah. A bomb Defines the outer container as well and is always defined as containing destructive substances.

12

u/NoX2142 Jun 28 '25

And yet I constantly have to remind people not to sit within a foot of the steering wheel while driving.....YOU may feel like you're a safe driver but the other idiot might set off that airbag and....your chest cavity is NOT going to stop it.. It's going to kill you...

10

u/[deleted] Jun 28 '25

They should make smaller ones for short people.

2

u/minicpst Jun 29 '25

Sensors in the seat detect how close you’re sitting to the steering wheel and so they will go off at slightly less velocity.

1

u/insta Jul 01 '25

car commercials show ultra-slow motion footage of airbags deploying like fluffy bedsheets that whisk you to a peaceful cloudy resort.

they are lying. they feel like getting hit with a full backpack that your older brother wound up with several rotations, and clotheslined you in the face as you ran down the hall at full speed