December 25, 2007

"A" Shift ran into this at a crash on I-66.  This vehicle had front end damage that should have caused the front airbags to deploy.  When we arrived and saw what appeared to be a partially deployed airbag, we were concerned about the safety hazards for the patient and the firefighters.

In this case, the car had been in a previous crash. When the owner had the car repaired, the airbags were "covered over" but not made functional again.

The Trooper who responded to the crash did some research on whether or not this is a legal practice.  Here's what he discovered:  Federal law requires all new cars to be manufactured with front airbags...But, once deployed, it is legal to repair a vehicle without restoring the airbags. This is true whether the repairs are done by a legit body shop or shade tree mechanic.  However, if the airbags are not functional, the vehicle will not pass inspection in Virginia - so many cars that have been crashed and repaired without restoring the air bags are sent out of state.

The Beanie Babies on the dash were not injured in the crash.