Preventing Airbag Injury

Driving is a privilege many Americans take for granted. Drivers also take for granted that their automobile is a safe and secure way to get themselves and their family members or other passengers from point A to point B. Today's cars remind all who enter with flashing lights and often little bells, encouraging them to use their safety belts before putting the car into "drive". Most later model automobiles have the added safety feature of airbag devices, allowing for cushions of air to deploy upon impact (side and front) in minor and major traffic accident situations. However, can the new addition of rapidly deployed airbags be more harmful than helpful in many auto accidents?

Research performed by the National Highway Traffic Safety Commission (NHTSA) has shown that since 1990, more than 270 motorists and their passengers have been fatally injured due to airbag deployment in low-speed crash situations. Ninety percent of these deaths have been children who were improperly restrained or placed with their heads far too close to the airbag deployment source, causing fatal head trauma. Since most automobiles have airbags for the passengers in the front seats of the car, it is of dire importance that children do not ride up front. Research has shown that airbag deployment is extremely likely to cause injury to children riding in the front seat yet only 14 states currently have laws that prevent children from riding there. Kids in the back, adults up front!

Adult riders' injuries and deaths are mostly due to rider error or neglect. In many of these cases, passengers and drivers have neglected to wear their lapbelts properly, feeling that airbags are enough to protect them in a serious accident. This could not be further from the truth. Airbags are designed to work in tandem with existing safety belts, not in an "either or" situation. Safety belts should always be secure and snug about the waist, an important measure in hampering forward movement in a crash situation. Airbags were introduced as an additional measure to help protect driver and passenger from harm due to impact of chest and or face to the dashboard or driving console. In order to allow airbags to do their job properly, drivers and passengers must be sure to be positioned out of the airbag deployment zone. Keeping at least 10 inches from the steering wheel or dashboard can help ensure that airbag deployment has less of a chance of causing eye or facial injury.

Airbags are certainly a welcome addition for motorists and passengers alike, providing valuable protection in harmful situations when proper safety guidelines are adhered to. In an accident situation, drivers must do all they can to ensure their passengers are protected. However safe or preventative a driver may be, other drivers might not be so cautious. Legal representatives like those at Robles Associates are able to help motorists seek help in the horrible eventuality of an auto accident. It is important to make sure drivers and passengers are protected before and after an accident; an excellent accident lawyer is necessary to help protect family safety in the aftermath of a collision.

AIRBAG INJURIES