safety features in the answer

I had a 95 M edition Miata that I liked. After sending a few grand to Keith it became a car I loved. Unfortunately last fall I was in a wreck and it was totaled. The wreck was a t bone, it got hit right on the passengers side just behind the door. Miata vs. F150 is never a good idea. While this would have been a bummer to lose the car, the real issue is that the side window was broken out, and then the airbags deployed which blew a whole bunch of glass into my face, including a rather large on into my eye, which no longer works.

I loved the Miata and want to get another one, but my wife is apoplectic that I would consider getting another of the cars that cost me my eye. (I've tried the freak accident argument, and lets just say this is not a discussion logic is going to win.)

I'm assuming that the reason the airbags deployed, and thus all my problems is because they were early generation stupid air bags that deployed whenever a hit was detected, regardless of direction.

What I need to know is when did they upgrade the air bags? Have there been any other safety improvements through the years that will help sell this idea?

Ooo, sorry to hear that. I had no idea.

The NB models have a physically smaller bag, the NC is smaller yet. I suspect the NC one is depowered while the NB one is just better packed.

The airbags were directional right from the start, but it's possible that the truck directly hit the sensor above the passenger wheel. I THINK that sensor went away with the NB. Airbags are a matter of playing the odds - most of the time they help, but occasionally they do more damage than good.

Buy some Halcyon goggles and use that to win your argument.

IIRC, early airbag sensors used tiny rollers that would pop the airbags when they moved (don't recall specific parameters as to how much they moved, etc...). By the mid to late 90's, they were replaced with electronic devices, like accelerometers. Then even more fancy computers with all kinds of calculations kick in.

When I first started working auto claims, I was a field adjuster in the later '90's. I would see 4-5 year old cars that would blow the airbags for the weirdest things. Now I see a lot of cars where the bags don't blow when your logic would tell you they "should".

eggs, I would also sell the wife that general crash safety has improved since the NA was designed. The NA was engineered nearly 3 decades ago. Crumple zones, more sophisticated air bags, and just a lot of general research into crash safety has made a huge difference. There are tons of small cars that do exceedingly well in crashes. The Smart did fantastic in crash testing...it scored higher in side impact than many large pick up trucks. But at the same time, at some point physics take over. With enough speed, even the best crash designed small car will lose to a heavier car.

Safety film on the side windows? Would keep it all together.

But I agree, airbag tech has gotten good, my dad was t boned, only the side curtain airbag went off.

Tint the glass. It keeps it all in one piece a heck of a lot better than untinted glass. It doesn't have to be dark tint. It can just be something that reduces the UV.

I think the correct answer here is Exocet. No glass.

Wow, sorry to hear about the accident. I drive a TR6 and ride a motorcycle through NoVa rush hour, so I sort of have a death wish by comparison. An NB Miata is my safe car.

If you can swing the cost, an ND Miata should be even safer than an NC. Technology really has come a long way with air bags and materials used to build cars. I wear wrap-around shades whenever possible to keep road debris out of my eyes, especially with the top down.

I now have the most extensive collection of prescription goggles spoggles and safety glasses in the planet. Just a little paranoid.

I had a friend in high school who lost the use of an eye due to a baseball. After that he never ever ever had his eyes uncovered except to sleep or shower. The one eye thing is serious.
I know from first hand experience that Mazda's current airbags are very intelligent. I did something monumentally stupid and the only bag that went off was the drivers side curtain bag.
I think the positives of modern air bags far outweigh the negatives of going to an older car without them.