airbags

from thecarconnection.com

" The safety equipment includes front airbags, side-impact airbags up front, and side curtain airbags. The structural stiffness of the car is so high, according to Prof.Dr. Burkhard Göschl, member of the Board, that side-impact for the rear passengers would not add any extra safety, so they are not available. Furthermore the 3-Series has two-stage adaptive brakelights that increase the intensity of during hard braking or whenever ABS is activated. "

thoughts?

also is BMW abandoning the HPS tube for curtains instead?

Well, I wonder why what he says doesn't work for the front users, who have seat integrated airbags and seem better protected than the rear ones . But I suppose engineers know better than me.

The HPS seems to have been upgraded, check the article about the E90 (in depth) at Germancarfans.

Bye, hasta pronto

Originally Posted by drewpsb70

from thecarconnection.com

" The safety equipment includes front airbags, side-impact airbags up front, and side curtain airbags. The structural stiffness of the car is so high, according to Prof.Dr. Burkhard Göschl, member of the Board, that side-impact for the rear passengers would not add any extra safety, so they are not available. Furthermore the 3-Series has two-stage adaptive brakelights that increase the intensity of during hard braking or whenever ABS is activated. "

thoughts?

also is BMW abandoning the HPS tube for curtains instead?

Well, when I bought my E46 with (optional) rear side airbags, they came deactivated. IIRC, I had to signe a form to activate them. The concern was people (and car seats) getting too close to the airbags. In fact, the dealer installed a safety sticker on the door jamb warning not to place car seats next to the door. I later sat in the back seat of an E60 and noticed the seat bolsters prevented me from sitting too closely to the door, presumably to protect me from getting too close to the airbag. IMO, BMW decided the liability of side airbags in the rear isn't worth it.