Crash bag 'not to blame' for Renault accident
Renault South Africa said on Wednesday it had proved that an crash bag claimed to be faulty was actually activated by an impact.
The investigation comes after reports on May 16 that a Johannesburg woman crashed her car after an apparently faulty crash bag deployed and knocked her out. She said an crash bag warning light had come on previously.
In a statement the company said it had analysed the claim and had included representatives of the driver of the vehicle and safety experts from its advanced driver safety division in France in its investigation.
The first step in the probe was to verify that the crash bag computer corresponded to the specific vehicle, that it was correctly affixed to the crash bag and that no warning light was on before the accident, said managing director of Renault South Africa, Roland Bouchara.
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"On completion of this exercise the parameters of the crash were analysed and the following facts emerged: Two impacts were registered by the computer; first a frontal crash and secondly a side crash.
"All restraint systems were activated due to an impact and in accordance with the severity of the impact, i.e. front and rear pyrotechnical buckle pretensioners and the passenger and driver airbags.
"These (the findings) conclusively show that the airbag had not caused the accident and had in all probability saved the life of the driver rather than endangering it," the statement said.
A technical simulation confirmed the results of the investigation and Renault said the safety devices had worked well and that the crash bag was not deployed before, but due to the crash.
"Safety is not a sales gimmick, it is a sincere concern of Renault and the motor industry as a whole, and a display of social responsibility at its highest level." - Sapa
News source: www.iol.co.za
Posted by: www.SouthAfrica-CarHire.com
