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Airbag Deployment Crashes in Canada
Technical Paper
976005
Sector:
Language:
English
Abstract
In the fall of 1993, Transport Canada initiated a major field
accident study to examine the injury experience of occupants
protected by supplementary airbag systems. While the initial
findings of this study confirm that belted drivers are afforded
added protection against head and facial fracture injury in
moderate-to-severe frontal collisions, the findings also suggest
that these benefits are being negated by a high incidence of
bag-induced injury. Most bag-related injuries consist of A facial
injuries and AIS 1 to 3 upper extremity injuries. However, they can
include AIS ≥ 3 injuries to other body regions if the occupant is
close to the deploying airbag. The incidence of bag-induced injury
was greatest among female drivers.
To further quantify the benefits and drawbacks afforded by
airbag systems, particularly as a function of collision severity,
additional analyses were carried out using U.S. field accident
data. Both Canadian and U.S. data examined suggest the protection
afforded belted drivers by airbag systems would be greatly enhanced
if deployment thresholds were increased. Far greater attention to
the protection requirements of female drivers needs to be given in
federal regulations addressing restraint system performance.