# 2017 BMW 530I — AIR BAGS
> NHTSA complaint `1580200` · 2019-07-02 · BMW of North America, LLC
## Severity
- **Deaths:** 0
- **Injured:** 1
- **Fire:** No
- **Crash:** Yes
- **Police report:** No
- **Medical attention:** Yes
- **Vehicle towed:** No
## Vehicle
- **Make:** BMW
- **Model:** 530I
- **Year:** 2017
- **Manufacturer:** BMW of North America, LLC
- **Component:** AIR BAGS
- **Miles at failure:** 29,000
- **Speed:** 17 mph
## Narrative
I HAD AN ACCIDENT IN MY NEIGHBORHOOD ON MAY 8, 2019.  ACCORDING TO BMW'S ACTIVATION SYSTEM THE ACCIDENT OCCURRED AT 6:58 PM. I TALKED WITH THE BMW CRASH ANALYST TEAM AND I WAS GOING 17.5 MPH WHEN I RAN THROUGH TWO SETS OF SCRUBS, HIT A GARAGE DOOR AND ENDED PARALLEL TO THE DOOR.  ACCORDING TO BMW THE SEAT BELT ACTIVATED AT TIME OF IMPACT WITH THE FIRST SET OF SCRUBS AND WITHIN A MILLISECOND THE AIR-BAG DEPLOYED.  I RECEIVED A BROKEN BACK IN THIS MINOR ACCIDENT. IT IS MY UNDERSTANDING THE AIR-BAG IS TO PROVIDE SAFETY TO THE DRIVERS UPPER TORSO AND HEAD. MY UPPER TORSO AND HEAD RECEIVED NO INJURY FROM THE ACCIDENT OR THE AIR-BAG. MY ASSUMPTION IS THE AIR-BAG HIT MY LOWER WAIST AREA RESULTING IN THE L-1 FRACTURE.  TWO TITANIUM RODS WERE ALSO INSERTED TO STABILIZE THE L-2,3,4,5,11. WHEN DISCUSSING THIS 'POTENTIAL' FAULT WITH BMW N.A. IT WAS INDICATED THEY DO NOT HAVE ANY IDEA HOW THE AIR-BAG WILL DEPLOY AND THEY ARE GLAD THAT I AM OK ASIDE FROM THE BROKEN BACK.  IF BMW DOES NOT UNDERSTAND HOW THE AIR-BAG WILL DEPLOY IS THIS NOT A MANUFACTURING DEFECT IN TESTING FOR THE DEPLOYMENT. IF IT DEPLOYED AS UNDERSTOOD TO THE UPPER TORSO AND HEAD, I WOULD MUCH RATHER HAVE HAD A BROKEN NOSE THAN A BROKEN BACK!
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*Source: [NHTSA ODI](https://www-odi.nhtsa.dot.gov/downloads/) · AI Analytics · CC0 1.0*