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Originally Posted by rantarM3
But not anymore, and for good reasons. I’m only trying to give the OP information on things he may not have thought about originally. Regardless of how airbags used to work, changing the way in which it may deploy in your car opens the door to potential civil liability (for a passenger’s airbag related injuries) and denial of coverage issues. That’s all I’m trying to say.
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I actually don't think you're correct.
I believe the occupancy sensor is exactly that-- it determines if there's an occupant in the seat, and nothing else. If there is, airbag. If not, no airbag.
I believe the speed of the deployment is determined by the speed of the crash.
With the rate at which they fail (most cars have them fail by 100,000-150,000 miles) and the enormous expense of replacing them, BMW would be exposing themselves to a lot of failed safety systems, otherwise.
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Dual-Stage Airbags
Your front airbags are dual-stage airbags. This means they have two inflation stages that can be ignited sequentially or simultaneously, depending on crash severity.
In a more severe crash, both stages will ignite simultaneously to provide the quickest and greatest protection.
In a less severe crash, one stage will ignite first, then the second stage will ignite a split second later. This provides longer airbag inflation time with a little less force.
Dual-Threshold Airbags
Your front airbags are also dual threshold airbags. Airbags with this feature have two deployment thresholds that depend on whether or not the occupant is wearing a seat belt.
If the occupant’s belt is not latched, the airbag will deploy at a slightly lower threshold, because the occupant would need extra protection.
If the occupant’s belt is latched, the airbag will inflate at a slightly higher threshold, when the airbag would be needed to supplement the protection provided by the seat belt.
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^nothing about the seat occupancy sensor being used to determine the weight of the passenger in deployment speed.
That said, I wouldn't put anyone you don't want the airbag going off in front of (children) in the passenger seat, since it will go off every time. But, you're already not supposed to put kids in the front seat for that reason, so not sure what that changes...