MythBusters · Video summary
Can Balloons Actually Protect You In A Car Crash? | MythBusters
The MythBusters investigate whether a car full of party balloons can act as an improvised airbag in a head-on collision.
Watch on YouTube ↗Key takeaways
- 💀The initial control crash test with an unbelted passenger resulted in a chest impact of 630 Gs and a head impact of 340 Gs, far exceeding the 100 G fatality benchmark.05:00
- 🎈Regular party balloons offered no significant protection in a full-scale crash, with G-force readings nearly identical to the control test.06:53
- 🐾Small-scale tests revealed that balloon animals reduced G-forces to 6 Gs, and small latex balloons to 2.8 Gs, significantly better than regular latex balloons.11:09
- 🔴Extra-large latex balloons, when tested in the balloon basher, achieved the lowest G-force of 2 Gs, making them the most effective in small-scale tests.12:31
- 💥Despite optimizing the balloon type and packing density, the full-scale test with extra-large latex balloons still resulted in a fatal 130 Gs for the passenger.16:11
- 📦The 'balloon bubble pack' design, which individually wrapped small balloons in plastic, achieved an impressive 1.7 Gs in small-scale tests, the lowest recorded.20:15
Chapters
- 0:00Introduction to the Clown Car Myth
- 0:54Preparing the Clown Car and Dummies
- 2:14The Control Crash Test (No Balloons)
- 8:08Analyzing Control Test Results
- 8:30First Balloon Crash Test (Regular Party Balloons)
- 10:47Analyzing Regular Balloon Crash Results
- 13:29Small-Scale Balloon Tests: Finding the Best Balloon
- 16:37Small-Scale Test Results and Optimization
- 22:23Full-Scale Test with Optimized Extra-Large Latex Balloons
- 25:24Analyzing Optimized Balloon Crash Results
- 27:25Final Small-Scale Tests: The Bubble Wrap Balloon Pack
- 35:55Final Full-Scale Test: The Bubble Wrap Balloon Pack
- 37:29Final Verdict: Myth Busted
The digest
The MythBusters team tackles a peculiar myth: can a car full of party balloons act as an effective airbag in a head-on collision? This intriguing question, inspired by a sensational newspaper headline, leads to a series of experiments designed to test the protective capabilities of various balloon configurations.
The Clown Car Crash Test: Round One
To simulate the myth, the team first transforms a regular car into a vibrant "clown car," complete with colorful paint, stars, and circles. They then prepare two crash test dummies, dressed as clowns, for the initial control test. One dummy, the driver, is belted in, while the passenger dummy is unbelted and without any balloons. Accelerometers are strategically placed on the dummies' heads and chests to measure the G-forces experienced during impact. The car is hoisted 41 feet into the air and dropped nose-first to simulate a 35 mph head-on collision.
The results of the control test are grim. The belted driver experiences 150 Gs, well above the benchmark for fatality (100 Gs). The unbelted passenger fares even worse, with a chest impact of 630 Gs and a head impact of 340 Gs. This initial test establishes a baseline for the devastating forces involved in such a crash, highlighting the critical need for effective safety measures.
Keep reading in The Digest
The full 4-minute article, 4 more sections, and every new episode from MythBusters and the creators you follow.
- The Balloon Barrier: Initial Attempts
- Small-Scale Balloon Bashing: Finding the Best Balloon
- The Ultimate Balloon Airbag: Full-Scale Test with Optimized Balloons
- The Bubble Wrap Balloon Pack: A Last-Ditch Effort
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