This content is not included in
your SAE MOBILUS subscription, or you are not logged in.
Analysis of Driver Fatalities in Frontal Crashes of Airbag-Equipped Vehicles in 1990-98 NASS/CDS
Technical Paper
2001-01-0156
ISSN: 0148-7191, e-ISSN: 2688-3627
Annotation ability available
Sector:
Event:
SAE 2001 World Congress
Language:
English
Abstract
This study, which is an extension of an earlier study, examined an additional 64 frontal crashes of airbag-equipped vehicles in the 1997-98 National Automotive Sampling System Crashworthiness Data System (NASS/CDS) in which the driver died. The principal cause of death in each case was determined based on an examination of the publicly available case materials, which primarily consisted of the crash narrative, the injury/source summary, and photographs of the crashed vehicle. Results were consistent with the earlier analyses of the 1990-96 NASS/CDS files. In the combined data set (1990-98), gross deformation of the occupant compartment was the leading cause (42 percent) of driver deaths in these 116 frontal crashes. The force of the deploying airbag (16 percent) and ejection from the vehicle (13 percent) also accounted for significant portions of the driver deaths in these frontal crashes. There continues to be little or no evidence that airbags deploy with too little energy. In contrast to previous analyses, there were 5 crashes in 1997-98 in which the driver's fatal injuries may have resulted from bottoming the airbag. However, there were equally plausible, alternative explanations for these fatal injuries, including the possibility that they were caused by the airbag itself in 4 of the 5 cases.
Recommended Content
Technical Paper | Driver Fatalities in Frontal Crashes of Airbag-Equipped Vehicles: A Review of 1989-96 NASS Cases |
Technical Paper | Airbag Benefits, Airbag Costs |
Technical Paper | Recent Regulatory History of Air Bags |
Authors
Topic
Citation
Zuby, D., Ferguson, S., and Cammisa, M., "Analysis of Driver Fatalities in Frontal Crashes of Airbag-Equipped Vehicles in 1990-98 NASS/CDS," SAE Technical Paper 2001-01-0156, 2001, https://doi.org/10.4271/2001-01-0156.Also In
SAE 2001 Transactions Journal of Passenger Cars - Mechanical Systems
Number: V110-6; Published: 2002-09-15
Number: V110-6; Published: 2002-09-15
References
- Insurance Institute for Highway Safety 1998 Looking for evidence of inadequate airbag energy: methodology for evaluation Arlington, VA
- Cammisa, M.X. Reed, R.T. Ferguson, S.A. Lund, A.K. 2000 Driver fatalities in frontal crashes of airbag-equipped vehicles: a review of 1989-96 NASS cases SAE Technical Paper Series 2000-01-1003 Warrendale, PA Society of Automotive Engineers
- Lund, A.K. Ferguson, S.A. Powell, M.R. 1996 Fatalities in air bag-equipped cars: a review of 1989-93 NASS cases SAE Technical Paper Series 960661 Warrendale, PA Society of Automotive Engineers
- U.S. Department of Health and Human Services 1987 Vital and health statistics; anthropometric reference data and the prevalence of overweight United States 1976-80 24 45 Washington, DC U.S. Government Printing Office
- Shatsky, S.A. et al. 1974 Traumatic distortions of primate head and chest: correlation of biomechanical, radiological, and pathological data Proceedings of the 18th Stapp Car Crash Conference 351 82 Warrendale, PA Society of Automotive Engineers
- Got, C. et al. 1978 Results of experimental head impacts on cadavers: the various data obtained and their relations to some measured parameters Proceedings of the 22nd Stapp Car Crash Conference 55 100 Warrendale, PA Society of Automotive Engineers
- Viano, D.C. 1983 Biomechanics of non-penetrating aortic trauma: A review Proceedings of the 27th Stapp Car Crash Conference 109 14 Warrendale, PA Society of Automotive Engineers