Using an Airbag to Launch Someone Off a Bridge: What Could Go Wrong?

And they are, but only if used properly. And inside a car, we might add, even though we feel as though we shouldn’t have to.

First of all, what is an airbag? As the name suggests, it's a bag of air (well, nitrogen, if you want to get technical) that inflates in a fraction of a second (25 to 50 milliseconds, to be as exact as possible) in case of a severe crash. Their purpose is to offer further protection to various parts of the occupants' bodies. The first ones were introduced to prevent neck and head injuries in case of a head-on collision, but nowadays, they take care of your knees, hips, pinky finger, and sometimes even your mortgage.

The magic behind airbags involves a little explosion, which is how they're able to release so much energy in such a short time. The thing is that ever since explosives were invented, apart from their practical uses, people have also wanted to play with them. Airbags make no exception.

You've probably seen clips of people underestimating the power of gas expanding at 200 mph (320 km/h) and being thrown head-first into the ceiling or just flying around uncontrolled like a rag doll. You must have. The people trying this stunt must have too, and yet they still thought sitting someone on an airbag on the side of the bridge and having them launched into the water was a good idea.

It does show a certain degree of consideration toward landing, but not much else. Did the subjects wear a helmet? Yeah, it's just that it's of the invisible kind. The first to try it—a rather large guy—proved clever enough to weasel his way out of it, so it finally fell on somebody of much smaller stature to take one for the team. Or for the views. Did it go well? Well, no, but you'll have to watch to see just how bad it all ended.

Airbag shenanigans start at around the 8:30 mark.