Chinese man crashes Mercedes S350, vows to only drive Chinese-built cars
Car accidents inspiring bouts of nationalism aren't all that new. However, this could be the shakiest case of it that we've heard of recently. Wang Zhan, the Chinese owner of a Mercedes S350, rear-ended a DongFeng van. In spite of the rather severe damage done to the car, the airbags didn't deploy, and Zhan and his daughter had to make a trip to the hospital. When the medication wore off, Mr. Zhan knew immediately what he needed to do: hold a press conference and announce that he'd only be buying Chinese goods for the rest of his life.
Based on the damage, it looks like he was doing some serious speed when it happened, and it's clear that the airbags should have deployed. Mr. Zhan said Mercedes never gave him a satisfactory answer as to why they didn't. Still, it happens, and we can imagine a number of other vehicles in which such an accident would have prevented Zhan from doing anything else, ever -- like, oh, some models from China. And we wouldn't mind knowing how the DongFeng van fared. Yet while we all know this never would have happened in a Geely, we might recommend that Zhan perhaps try something from Sweden first...
[Source: Winding Road]
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 5)
iSpec 7:35PM (1/01/2008)
The world toys with led, poison pet food and defective products from now to eternity stamped with 'Made in China' and they get the vehicles Mercedes can't sell anywhere else in the world because they are riddled with defects. Fair is Fair.
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EM 8:16AM (1/02/2008)
I figured the airbags in his mercedes were marked as "Made in China".
Seriously, if he was instead riding a chinese-made car, would he have survived that crash in the first place?
"...based on the damage, it looks like he was doing some serious speed when it happened"
Maybe he should instead be promoting safe driving on that placard he's holding.
Luis 12:44PM (1/02/2008)
If I'm correct, most air bag sensors are located in the front bumper; I don't see damage to the bumper in the picture shown...therefore, no deplyment.
Luis 12:44PM (1/02/2008)
If I'm correct, most air bag sensors are located in the front bumper; I don't see damage to the bumper in the picture shown...therefore, no deployment.
Brent 7:39PM (1/01/2008)
What benefit would you get from the airbag deploying when driving underneath a truck?
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RidinLow 7:50PM (1/01/2008)
Yep, based on the lack of damage to the headlights and below, the airbag sensors were never touched, most probably because he drove under a much taller vehicle. If you don't trigger the airbag sensors, the airbags don't deploy, made from lead or not.
paul34 12:00AM (1/02/2008)
Also, contrary to popular belief, airbag sensors aren't simple devices that trigger when crushed necessarily. They're designed to detect a rapid deceleration. Once a rapid enough deceleration is detected, it will trigger the bags.
In this accident, he probably slid a bit under the truck, slowing down quite a bit obviously, but not nearly instantly like what happens when you rear-end a stopped vehicle.
People think air bag deployments are a very simple thing. They are not. It is a touchy process getting to blow when you need it to, but to stay quite otherwise (like in 5 MPH collisions, strange occurrences on a track, etc).
thomas 11:33AM (1/04/2008)
Paul is exactly right on this one. Airbags are meant to deploy when the vehicle comes in contact with a stationary object--not a moveable one. Also, even early cars with airbags DO have a sensor mounted under the hood, in the center by the windshield.
Seatbelt pretensioners are meant to restrain the body in collisions with objects that are moveable. Airbags take over when a seatbelt pretensioner would cause damage to the body.
Again, airbag deployment is a function of the vehicle's change in velocity. They will not deploy unless they have to, and clearly in this case they didn't have to.
Louis Duran 7:40PM (1/01/2008)
I'd take a Mercedes any day over a Chinese car.
I would like to see Mr. Wang (great porno name BTW) try doing the same in the Chery in the linked video below:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F06LjugtIUo
Even with airbags deployed, he would have been crushed like a fortune cookie. The police should cite him with a DWA.
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JD 2:32AM (1/02/2008)
Ha, nice job finding that accident video. No one has mentioned that his life will be likely very short if he buys only chinese goods- therefore, they will probably only sell one or two cars before he kicks the bucket, probably from the car catching fire/exploding from hitting a sidewalk.
Court 10:07AM (1/02/2008)
"...crushed like a fortune cookie" LOL...that was good.
RicardoHead 7:40PM (1/01/2008)
I bet Lady Di said the same thing when her Benz got totalled.
BTW - I bet the non-deployed airbags were Made In China.
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Guenther 8:31PM (1/01/2008)
Funny that the only belted occupant survived.
Bryan 12:04AM (1/02/2008)
That was tacky and uncalled for. If you cannot speak without bringing up someones unfortunate, horrific death, then maybe you should just go somewhere else. Pathetic.
Bert 7:43PM (1/01/2008)
He will get in to one accident with a Cherry and we won't hear anything from him again.
NEXT!
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Taylor 7:47PM (1/01/2008)
Have fun in your grave! =D
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Harajoshi 7:55PM (1/01/2008)
oh dear these chinese people are so strange... they hack foreign countries and blame the goverments then for complaining on these actions as "racists"... they are very nationalistic... and well, about, this... would you care when the monkeys in the zoo scream at you? I think the mercedes s-class is much saver than any chinese toy...
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Max Fun 9:31PM (1/01/2008)
"would you care when the monkeys in the zoo scream at you?"
What do you mean by this pray tell?
Owain Ozymandias Buck 10:13PM (1/01/2008)
I think he's trying to say that the complaining of those who call out China on many points are like monkeys screaming at you from their enclosure. Just ponder it a bit and you will get it.
tekdemon 4:17PM (1/02/2008)
Owain, I think you interpreted it too positively-Harajoshi is just comparing the Chinese guy to a screaming monkey as part of a China-bashing post, not pointing out the irony that half of the posters on Autoblog are "only buy USA no matter what" types.