Background
This report documents the on-site investigation of the non-deployment of the driver frontal air bag during the roadside departure and frontal crash of a 2019 Ford Fusion into a culvert drainage pipe.
The 32-year-old unbelted female driver sustained minor injuries during the crash. The Ford had certified advanced 208-compliant frontal air bags, a driver knee air bag; front-seat-mounted side impact air bags, inflatable curtain (IC) air bags, front row seat belt retractor pretensioners, and crash avoidance features. Only the driver knee air bag deployed.
Crash Summary
The crash occurred on the roadside of a one-lane service road to an interstate expressway. The Ford was a 4-door sedan and was occupied only by the unbelted driver.
The vehicle traveled into a long ditch parallel to the roadway and the right side contacted an unknown object that caused minor damage. The Ford’s front plane then struck a plastic drainage pipe buried beneath a crossing driveway at the end of the ditch, resulting in deployment of the driver knee air bag.
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