NHTSA Complaint #10496547 — 2007 SUBARU FORESTER

APPROACHING A TRAFFIC LIGHT WHICH WAS TURNING YELLOW AT A T-JUNCTION, I TRIED TO STEP ON THE BRAKES. PERHAPS I HIT THE ACCELERATOR WITH THE FORCE I INTENDED TO USE ON THE BRAKES, BUT WHEN I THOUGHT I STEPPED ON THE BRAKE, I LURCHED FORWARD RAPIDLY. I COULD NOT CORRECT IN TIME AND HIT 2 POLES AND A WALL. I DON'T KNOW MY MPH. THE 25 MPH LISTED ABOVE IS A GUESS, BUT THE FRONT END COLLISION WAS SO SUBSTANTIAL THE CAR WAS TOTALED. THE AIR BAGS, HOWEVER, DID NOT DEPLOY. THE POLICE, TOW TRUCK DRIVER AND WITNESSES COULD NOT BELIEVE THAT THE AIR BAGS HAD NOT GONE OFF. I WAS LUCKY; AT THE HOSPITAL MY INJURIES WERE DETERMINED TO BE MUSCULAR RATHER BONE RELATED, BUT I HAD A SORE NECK, CHEST & LOWER BACK. SUBARU RESPONDED TO NOTIFICATION OF THIS EVENT : "IT IS DIFFICULT TO DISCERN WHY THE AIRBAGS DID NOT DEPLOY WITHOUT KNOWING THE EXTENT OF THE ACCIDENT. ACCORDING TO THE FORESTER OWNER'S MANUAL, THE AIRBAGS ARE DESIGNED TO DEPLOY IN THE EVENT OF AN ACCIDENT INVOLVING A MODERATE TO SEVERE FRONTAL COLLISION. IT IS BASICALLY NOT DESIGNED TO DEPLOY IN LESSER FRONTAL IMPACTS BECAUSE THE NECESSARY PROTECTION CAN BE ACHIEVED BY THE SEATBELT ALONE. ALSO, THEY ARE BASICALLY NOT DESIGNED TO DEPLOY IN SIDE OR REAR IMPACTS OR IN ROLL-OVER ACCIDENTS BECAUSE DEPLOYMENT OF ONLY THE DRIVER'S SRS FRONTAL AIRBAG OR BOTH DRIVER'S AND FRONT PASSENGER'S SRS FRONTAL AIRBAGS WOULD NOT HELP THE OCCUPANT IN THOSE SITUATIONS. SRS AIRBAG DEPLOYMENT DEPENDS ON THE LEVEL OF FORCE EXPERIENCED IN THE PASSENGER COMPARTMENT DURING A COLLISION. THAT LEVEL DIFFERS FROM ONE TYPE OF COLLISION TO ANOTHER, AND IT MAY HAVE NO BEARING ON THE VISIBLE DAMAGE DONE TO THE VEHICLE ITSELF... IF THE VEHICLE STRIKES AN OBJECT SUCH AS A TELEPHONE POLE OR SIGN POLE, OR IF THE VEHICLE SUSTAINS AN OBLIQUE OFFSET FRONTAL IMPACT. THE AIRBAGS ALSO WILL NOT DEPLOY IF THE VEHICLE IS INVOLVED IN A LOW-SPEED FRONTAL COLLISION." *TR