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I was watching a video about a ham radio install in a JK and the presenter mentioned a mounting solution to hold the microphone and a hand held unit simultaneously. This product peaked my interest, and to be fair, the product initially appears to be an excellent option. However, I remembered why I had opted to not use a similar product when I installed my radios in our JK. Airbags.
This particular product, like many others on the market, used the passenger side grab bar on the dash. In some cases the products simply clamp around the grab bar itself. Other designs frequently use the mount point(s) where the grab bar attaches to the dash. The challenge I have with these products, is the fact that if/when the air bag deploys on the passenger side, the airbag deploys right over the top of the grab bar. In turn, any objects mounted between the air bag and the passenger seat have the potential to be turned into projectiles fired right into the head and torso area of any passenger in that seat. There is even the potential for those objects to be hurled into the rear seat or even at the driver's position. The scenario is much like that of billiards. Everything depends on the angle, amount of contact, speed of the impact, and...well...you get the point.
For the record, if I were in law enforcement, I would pull over every mini-van I saw with some kid in the front seat with their feet up on the dash and ask them a few questions. The conversation would go something like this. While smiling, "Hi <driver>. I apologize for interrupting your day." ... "No, no, you didn't do anything illegal, but I saw a safety concern that you should be aware of." ... "I have a few questions before we get to that. Do you know what a moderate to severe crash is defined as?" ... "The NHTSA defines a moderate to severe crash as the equivalent of hitting a solid, fixed barrier at 8 to 14mph or to striking a parked car of similar size at about 16 to 28 mph or higher. That's not very fast is it?" ... Still smiling, "Yea. It's not. Now another question. Do you know approximately how fast an airbag is traveling when it deploys?" ... "Somewhere in the neighborhood of around 200mph." ... While delivering a big smile, "Yea...it's almost scary isn't it?." ... Now we crunch the eyebrows in that deep thought mode, "So what do you think will happen to your passenger if that airbag deploys while they have their feet propped up on the dash? I have a suspension that getting folded in half at 200mph wouldn't feel very good would it?" ... "Thank you for you time. Have a nice day!"
Airbags save lives but they must be respected. Typically people do not set out to run head first into another object at 8mph let alone any faster. The reality is, it happens, frequently with no warning and zero reaction time. We do not need to make things worse by turning a device designed to save lives into a one that could kill someone. (Maybe after the zombie apocalypse starts...but you see what I am saying.) Anytime you mount anything in a newer vehicle, Jeep or not, it is worth every second to think about where the air bags are, a general idea of how and where they deploy, and avoid installing anything near them if all possible.
This particular product, like many others on the market, used the passenger side grab bar on the dash. In some cases the products simply clamp around the grab bar itself. Other designs frequently use the mount point(s) where the grab bar attaches to the dash. The challenge I have with these products, is the fact that if/when the air bag deploys on the passenger side, the airbag deploys right over the top of the grab bar. In turn, any objects mounted between the air bag and the passenger seat have the potential to be turned into projectiles fired right into the head and torso area of any passenger in that seat. There is even the potential for those objects to be hurled into the rear seat or even at the driver's position. The scenario is much like that of billiards. Everything depends on the angle, amount of contact, speed of the impact, and...well...you get the point.
For the record, if I were in law enforcement, I would pull over every mini-van I saw with some kid in the front seat with their feet up on the dash and ask them a few questions. The conversation would go something like this. While smiling, "Hi <driver>. I apologize for interrupting your day." ... "No, no, you didn't do anything illegal, but I saw a safety concern that you should be aware of." ... "I have a few questions before we get to that. Do you know what a moderate to severe crash is defined as?" ... "The NHTSA defines a moderate to severe crash as the equivalent of hitting a solid, fixed barrier at 8 to 14mph or to striking a parked car of similar size at about 16 to 28 mph or higher. That's not very fast is it?" ... Still smiling, "Yea. It's not. Now another question. Do you know approximately how fast an airbag is traveling when it deploys?" ... "Somewhere in the neighborhood of around 200mph." ... While delivering a big smile, "Yea...it's almost scary isn't it?." ... Now we crunch the eyebrows in that deep thought mode, "So what do you think will happen to your passenger if that airbag deploys while they have their feet propped up on the dash? I have a suspension that getting folded in half at 200mph wouldn't feel very good would it?" ... "Thank you for you time. Have a nice day!"
Airbags save lives but they must be respected. Typically people do not set out to run head first into another object at 8mph let alone any faster. The reality is, it happens, frequently with no warning and zero reaction time. We do not need to make things worse by turning a device designed to save lives into a one that could kill someone. (Maybe after the zombie apocalypse starts...but you see what I am saying.) Anytime you mount anything in a newer vehicle, Jeep or not, it is worth every second to think about where the air bags are, a general idea of how and where they deploy, and avoid installing anything near them if all possible.
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