Side Airbag and Slim Jim Combination

[Michael Day]

Members of our local Rescus Squad recently brought to our attention a warning about using Slim Jims on vehicles that contain side impact airbags. The warning states the FBI and DEA have received reports from various LE agencies that 3 officers have been killed.
I seem to recall something along this line several years ago and it was proven to be a hoax. There doesn't seem to be any validity to the message but was wondering if anyone else has heard or seen this recently. If you have any info or would like a copy of the message, let me know.
Thanks...
MLDay

[MetalMedic]

Officers being killed with slim jims and side airbags? Being a police officer, I am surprised I have not heard of this. I really don't see what could kill you if you deployed a side airbag in an empty car that you are trying to unlock with a slim jim. At worse I could see the slim jim launching from the door, but I wouldn't anticipate that causing fatal injuries... Send me to posting if you get a chance.

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Richard Nester
Orrville (OH) Fire Dept.

[mhas]

I took a airbag class that Ron Moore taught and he brought up that subject, he researched it and found out it was a big hoax. No one got hurt from slim jimming a car with a side impact airbag. But you can disconnect the airbag slim jimming the door.

[Ron Shaw]

Slim Jim Hoax, May It Rest In Peace!!

This is not the first thread on this topic, if you go back through the libary you will see other articles. It has been proven that this has not happened in the past and it is highly unlikely that the tool or simular tool could case injury.

First think of how the airbag is installed and the deployment path, the tool will not come incontact with the side impact bag. Many tests have been conducted, at no time did the tool or simular tool cause injury or the firing of the airbag.

Both Ron Moore and I have tried to contact these agencies where the incidents were suposed to have occured. It never happened, NHTSA-DOT tried to track down this incident, they too were lead to a deadend.

Please forward me a copy of the FBI or any other report, try contacting the source and follow the lead to get documentation.

The only thing you could possibly do, is to disconnect the side impact terminal lead wire, rendering the airbag useless. In which case you could be held liable should the vehicle get hit and the airbag does not deploy.

Let the lock smiths do the unlocking, if it's an emergency, get the universal key!

Use the link below to see a more detailed article that was writen about his topic, this hoax has been surfacing for years, why??? Perhaps those that are spreading the hoax don't want to use the tool, this is not the way to avoid the departmental assignments.
http://www.extrication.com/Slim%20Jim.htm



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Ron Shaw
http://www.extrication.com