Side Airbags Failed to Deploy

I have loved my 2006 Mazda3 S Touring hatchback since the day I bought it brand new with 8 miles on the odometer. As of Friday, 2/5/10, my Mazda3 is no more, and had almost reached 75,000 miles. I was t-boned in an uncontrolled intersection near my apartment and the insurance company decided that my car was totaled. Thankfully, neither myself or the other driver was seriously injured, but I suffered a mild concussion and whiplash. I was going about 20-25 mph and she must have been going at least 30 mph, yet my side airbags didn't deploy. This concerns me a great deal because the impact to the front passenger side of my car actually put a hole in the door and started to tear off the passenger side door handle, as well as shattering the passenger side window and showering me in glass. I can't find information anywhere that gives deployment information and specifics for side airbag deployment in collisions.

Any knowledge or experience you can share with me? Again, I'm thankful that my injuries were relatively minor, but I really think that if the driver's side airbag had deployed perhaps my injuries would have been less severe and hope that others aren't being unnecessarily injured because of faulty deployment.

Sorry to hear about your loss, but good that you didn't have any serious injury.

I cannot answer your question on deployment. The owners manual doesn't help. I too
would like to know. Did your front air bag deploy? Someone else may have some information on airbag deployment.

Welcome to the forum.

Clifton

I was T-Boned in my 2007 Mazda3 I bought mine brand new too with 6 miles when I got I was hit by an old F-150 running a red light.
I'll attach the url to my thread. (There are more pictures in my thread.)
http://www.mazdas247.com/forum/showthread.php?t=123722227
And here is a picture....

was there a passenger????I know most of the newer cars come with a "smart srs" so to speak.If you got into a head on accident and there was no passenger, the pass. side air bags wont go off.There should be a weight sensor in the pass side seats.I think the parameters are over 40 lbs, and the pass side srs is activated.It saves the insurance companys of having to replace srs components if there not needed in an accident.

Well there wasn't anyone else in the car with me, but my car doesn't have side airbags and I understand what you are saying but when I got hit my body first flew to my right breaking my center armrest and then flew back to my left hitting my head on the window, so hard in fact that I put a dent in the window and it had to be replaced. My car wasn't totaled it has some problems now and it makes me mad because my car was perfect before the accident which wasn't my fault.

But to go back to what you said airbags should go off no matter what you never know what could happen.