The Risk and Benefits of Airbag Systems: Are They Needlessly Killing and Injuring Motorists?

This paper reviews the literature regarding injuries and fatalities in frontal accidents in vehicles equipped with air bag systems.

An analysis is presented of the nature of fatal injuries attributable to airbag deployment, which accounts for the age, sex, and accident modality. Injury analysis is reviewed in the same fashion.

Airbag-induced injuries appear to relate to the proximity of the motorist to the unit when it inflates. Suggestions have been made to modify seat belt systems, the ergonomics of the driver's position and the design of the airbag units to minimize deployment injury.