2002 Toyota Echo

I WAS DRIVING DOWN A 4 LANE HIGHWAY (US 29 S), WHEN A CAR TRIED TO TURN INTO THE MEDIAN THREE CARS AHEAD OF ME. ONE CAR SWERVED TO AVOID THE FRONT TWO VEHICLES. WHEN THEY DID I WAS ABLE TO SEE THE CARS TRYING TO STOP. I SLAMMED ON MY BRAKES, BY THE TIME I DID IT WAS TOO LATE. SO GOING ABOUT 65 WITH ABOUT 50 FEET OF STOPPING DISTANCE I GUESS I WAS GOING 40 - 50 MPH. I COULD NOT MOVE TO THE OTHER LANE SINCE THERE WAS TRACTOR TRAILER IN THE OTHER LANE. SO I REAR ENDED THE VEHICLE IN FRONT OF ME. IMPACTING ON THE DRIVER SIDE FRONT CORNER. MY AIRBAGS FAILED TO DEPLOY. THE FOLLOWING DAY INSPECTING THE DAMAGE, THE AIR BAG SENSOR WAS RIGHT NEXT TO THE DAMAGED AREA AND SHOULD HAVE BEEN ABLE TO PICK UP THE IMPACT. *JB

DT: AS OF AUGUST 17, 2005 THERE WAS SINGLE CAR ACCIDENT IN WHICH THE CAR ROLLED 3 TIMES, AND THE AIR BAGS DID NOT DEPLOY. THE SPEED WAS 45 MPH WHEN THIS HAPPENED, THERE WAS A BLOWN TIRE THAT CAUSED THE CAR TO STRIKE AN EMBANKMENT., AND WHEN CONSUMER TRIED TO CORRECT THE VEHICLE IT ROLLED. CAR WAS TOWED TO CONSUMER'S RESIDENCE WHERE AN INSURANCE ADJUSTOR WAS GOING TO MAKE AN ASSESSMENT ON THIS ACCIDENT. NO REPAIRS OR NO DEALER. DIDN'T KNOW WHY AIR BAGS DID NOT DEPLOY. HAD NOT CONTACTED TOYOTA AT THIS TIME. *AK

MY BOY FRIEND WAS DRIVING MY 2002 TOYOTA ECHO 2-DOOR COUPE. WE WERE DRIVING IN THE MIDDLE LANE ON THE OUTERLOOP OF 495 (MARYLAND), RIGHT PAST THE CONNECTICUT/KENSINGTON EXIT WHEN TRAFFIC BEGAN TO SLOW DOWN (50MPH). THE MAZDA 626 IN FRONT OF US SUDDENLY SLAMMED ON HIS BREAKS SO MY BOYFRIEND SLAMMED ON HIS BREAKS WHEN HE NOTICED A CHEVY MALIBU COMING FULL SPEED BEHIND US WITH THE DRIVER UNCONSCIOUS AT THE STEERING WHEEL. HE GLANCED TO THE SIDE AND SAW NO ONE COMING ON HIS LEFT SO HE TURNED THE STEERING WHEEL TO CHANGE LANES. THE TOYOTA ECHO KEPT GOING STRAIGHT SINCE SLOWING DOWN AT THAT SPEED, THE CAR WAS SKIDDING TOWARD THE MAZDA 626 QUITE FAST. SINCE HE WAS SLOWING DOWN QUITE RAPIDLY AND THE CHEVY MALIBU BEHIND US DIDN'T SEEM TO BE SLOWING DOWN, IT WAS INEVITABLE THAT THE CHEVY MALIBU SLAMMED INTO THE BACK OF OUR TOYOTA ECHO. THE IMPACT CRUSHED THE TRUNK PAST THE GAS TANK. AFTER THAT WE WERE LURCHED FORWARD INTO THE MAZDA 626. IN TURN HITTING THE CAR IN FRONT OF HIM AND SO FORTH. IT DIDN'T END THERE BECAUSE THE DRIVER BEHIND US WAS UNCONSCIOUS, THE CHEVY MALIBU KEPT SLAMMING INTO THE BACK OF OUR TOYOTA 2-3 TIMES LIKE A BUMPER CAR UNTIL WE FINALLY CAME TO A STOP. NEEDLESS TO SAY, THE TOYOTA ECHO SUFFERED SEVERE FRONTAL AND REAR DAMAGE, YET THE AIR BAGS DID NOT DEPLOY. WHEN THE PARAMEDICS ARRIVED ON THE SCENE, THEY WERE SHOCKED TO SEE THAT WITH SUCH SEVERE DAMAGE TO THE CAR, THAT THE AIR BAGS DID NOT DEPLOY. THE INSURANCE ADJUSTER HAS TOLD ME THAT THE CAR IS A TOTAL LOSS AND NOT WORTH THE COST OF REPAIRING AS IT WOULD EXCEED $10,000 IN CHARGES. MY MAIN CONCERN IS THAT ALTHOUGH WE ALL SURVIVED THE CRASH WITHOUT SERIOUS INJURY, WHY WOULD SUCH AN IMPACT NOT MAKE THE AIR BAGS DEPLOY?*AK