AIRBAGS DEPLOYED IN A MINOR SIDESWIPE COLLISION AT HIGHWAY SPEED. THE DRIVER WAS NOT ABLE TO CONTROL THE VEHICLE BECAUSE OF THE SMOKE (DUST?) FROM THE AIRBAG INFLATION AND THE BAG ITSELF IN HIS FACE THAT PREVENTED HIM FROM SEEING WHERE HE WAS GOING. WE HIT A UTILITY POLE AT SPEED AND SEVERAL TREES WHICH EVENTUALLY STOPPED THE TRUCK. THE AIRBAGS DEPLOYED AT THE INITIAL (VERY MINOR) IMPACT AND WERE OF NO BENEFIT TO US IN THE SUBSEQUENT MAJOR IMPACTS THAT WE COULD NOT EVEN SEE COMING. IN THIS CASE DRIVER ERROR MAY HAVE CAUSED THE INITIAL IMPACT BUT MANY ACCIDENTS OF THIS TYPE MAY FOLLOW DEER/AUTO CRASHES THAT OCCUR AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS AND DO NOT SLOW THE VEHICLE DOWN. PERHAPS THE THRESHOLD IMPACT FOR AIRBAG DEPLOYMENT SHOULD BE HIGHER OR AIRBAG DEPLOYMENT MODIFIED SO DRIVERS ARE ABLE TO CONTROL THEIR VEHICLE AFTER AN INITIAL IMPACT THAT DOES NOT STOP THE VEHICLE. I HAVE TO WONDER HOW MANY HUMAN DEATHS IN DEER/AUTO COLLISIONS RESULT FROM SECONDARY IMPACTS AT HIGH SPEED BECAUSE DRIVERS COULD NOT STOP THEIR AUTO SAFELY BECAUSE OF AIRBAG DEPLOYMENT AT THE INITIAL HIT. *JS