air bag injuries

Damage to the body sustained by vehicle air bags which inflate at an almost explosive rate in order to provide protection. Ocular injuries and limb fractures have been described. The distance from the body to the steering-wheel appears to be a critical factor in determining injuries from air bags. The presence of air bags is no substitute for properly adjusted seat belts. The combination offers useful protection.

References in periodicals archive ?

The 28-year-old driver was checked over by paramedics but she escaped with slight seat belt and air bag injuries.

A19 smash causes delays

Because 1990s vehicles with poorly designed air bags will move through used vehicle markets for years, air bag injuries and the resultant lawsuits will inevitably continue.

No dead end for air bag cases

Almost all the children who died from air bag injuries were improperly restrained or positioned.

Ask Doctor Cory

According to NHTSA, 66 children have reportedly died in MVCs as a result of air bag injuries since 1990; 63 were either totally unrestrained or improperly restrained; 14 deaths were infants riding in rear-facing child safety seats in the front seat of the vehicle; 6 of the improperly restrained children had slipped the shoulder strap behind them and wore only the lap best portion; and a 2-year-old weighing less than 22 pounds was restrained with a lap/shoulder belt (NSC, 1998c).

Pediatric Occupant Car Safety: Clinical Implications Based on Recent Literature

Air bag injuries often occur when an occupant is close to the bag during a collision.

A study by the Harvard School of Public Health's Injury Control Center and Center for Risk Analysis found that consumers still believe that using seat belts will protect them from air bag injuries.

The hard truth about air bags

Citations to medical literature dealing with the biomechanics of air bag injuries are included to help point the way to admissible expert opinions under the Daubert rules for scientific evidence.

When air bags injure or kill

The University of Michigan's Transportation Research Institute recently conducted a study of air bag injuries, finding that two-thirds of drivers were injured in 540 crashes in which the air bag deployed.