ON DEC. 9TH, 2000, OUR BEETLE WAS HIT IN THE DRIVERS SIDE AND SIDE AIRBAGS DID NOT DEPLOY. "EXPERTS" AT VOLKSWAGEN CLAIMED THAT OUR FORWARD MOTION AT THE TIME OF IMPACT LESSENED THE SIDE IMPACT. I CAN UNDERSTAND THIS TO SOME DEGREE BUT BY THEIR REASONING, IF WE WERE GOING TWICE AS FAST, WOULD THE DAMAGE HAVE BEEN HALVED? OY. THE SIDE WAS SO CAVED-IN THAT I HAD TO BE CUT OUT OF THE CAR WITH THE JAWS OF LIFE. PEOPLE WHO HAVE SEEN THE CAR , INCLUDING THE REPAIR SHOP FOREMAN, CAN NOT BELIEVE THAT THE AIRBAG DID NOT DEPLOY. ON CONTACTING VW, I WAS TOLD THAT BEING THAT I WAS MOVING AT THE TIME OF IMPACT, IT LESSENED THE SIDE IMPACT. I CAN UNDERSTAND THIS TO SOME EXENT, BUT DOES THIS MEAN THAT IF WE WERE DOING 100MPH INSTEAD OF 50MPH WOULD THE DAMAGE WOULD HAVE BEEN HALVED?. *AK