Airbags were introduced to provide further protection, over and above seatbelts, to occupants of vehicles. Seat belts have been proven to be effective in reducing casualties following road traffic accidents, however, many were still injured after being thrown against ‘unpadded’ parts of the car such as the steering wheel and dashboard.
Airbags operate by rapidly inflating, then immediately deflating thus cushioning and protecting the occupants of a vehicle. The area in a vehicle which is taken up when the airbag is inflating is known as the ‘airbag deployment zone’. Sensors within a vehicle monitor both the severity and direction of the impact and deploy the airbags where the variables meet the minimum criteria. It is reported that that impact should be greater than 20mph (although this may vary) and in a frontal direction. Rear end shunt collisions should not cause the airbags to deploy.
Airbag Injuries
With the heightened safety and protection that airbags can provide also comes concerns. There have been various studies into airbags actually causing injuries and exploring those at risk of this on airbag deployment. Common concerns centre around the following:
- Forward facing child seats – it is advised to fit these securely so both the child and the seat are out of the airbag deployment zone.
- Rearward facing child seats – it is advised not to use rearward facing child seats that project into the airbag deployment zone where a passenger airbag is fitted. If the airbag is deployed it could hit the car seat throwing both the seat and the child toward the rear of the vehicle.
- Hearing loss – while more investigation is required into this, it has been suggested in a study that airbag deployment can cause hearing loss, however this is an ‘infrequent occurrence’.
- Pregnant women – an eight month pregnant woman in the USA reportedly lost her unborn child when an airbag deployed whilst she was a front seat passenger. There have been no similar reports in Britain that we are aware of, however it is advised, as a precaution, for pregnant women to have their car seat positioned as far back as possible to take them out of the deployment zone of the airbag.
- Shorter, lighter drivers – research suggests that drivers under 55kgms in weight and 160cm in height are at greater risk of being injured by an airbag. This may be due to shorter drivers sitting closer to the steering wheel and hence being closer to the airbag deployment zone.
However, there are other variables which could increase the risk, these being pre-collision braking and issues with seat belts either stretching or being slack. It is therefore advised these drivers sit as far back as possible to take them out of the deployment zone and to keep their seat belt in good condition.
There are other risk factors which various road safety agencies/societies outline.
It should be borne in mind that the fitment of airbags, as a secondary safety measure to seatbelts, is supported by various road safety societies as they have been proven to be effective in reducing the risk of injury in more severe road traffic collisions.
This being said, there has been a number of concerns and issues with airbags (apparently more so with American airbags), as such it is recommended that UK drivers take advice accordingly and act upon that advice.
If you have any questions in relation to the topics discussed in this article, please contact our expert Personal Injury team in Derby, Leicester and Nottingham on 0800 024 1976 or via our online form.