AIRBAGS
To date there have been a reported total of 25 deaths, 6 to 8 of which have been children, and 279 injuries from airbag deployments. That is a total to date of 304 people reported killed or injured by airbags (actual numbers are most likely higher than just the reported cases). A total of 43% of all airbag deployments result in injury. These injuries range from broken bones to badly burned faces and loss of thumbs and fingers.
By government and industry admission, airbags, when used in conjunction with seatbelts add only 15% extra protection over seatbelts alone in a collision. Although no exact figures will be provided by government or industry, it is known that these airbags deploy out from your dashboard at rates from 150 to 300 mph, with an explosive charge behind them.
Why then, with this many deaths and injuries reported have no explicit warnings, or concise information been issued to the general public before now, as to the very real hazards involved with airbags? Instead, the only thing most of us have seen is an unrealistic and deceptive slow motion video of a billowing, cloud-like pillow deploying.
Only the positive side of airbags has ever been relayed to the general public. They say they have saved 911 lives to date. If airbags only add 10% to at best 15% extra protection over seatbelts alone, would not the seatbelts be responsible for most of those lives saved anyway? These 911 were most likely in high speed crashes, and not in low speed impacts where the airbags have still deployed. There are cases of airbags deploying, causing injury, just going over railroad tracks, or hitting chuckholes in the road.
Government and industry readily admit that seatbelt use is essential for the airbags to be effective. What kind of safety system is this, that if one part, the elective (seatbelt) part is not used properly, that the other or passive (airbag) part can kill of injure you? In order not to be at risk of being killed or injured by the airbag, you must have a seatbelt strapped on you "properly", be 10-15 inches away from the air bag compartment, and not be "out of position" according to government and industry statements. What kind of "control of position" do you have in an accident? Seatbelts don't "properly" fit smaller children, those too big for carseats yet not large enough to have seatbelts fit them correctly.
Even current warnings, if one were so lucky to read one, after all of these deaths and injuries have occurred, still only advise you to lean back away from the airbag, keep you hands in a specific position on the steering wheel, and stay at least ten inches away from the airbag.
All of this is necessary to avoid death or injury from a passive safety device? How can you do all of this when the impact of a collision throws you out of control and forward into the airbag? How can you stay ten inches away from the airbag if you happen to be a shorter, larger, or pregnant person? How can you stay "properly positioned" in an accident when the physics of the situation moves you forward to some degree even with a seatbelt on correctly? The head and neck are especially free to move forward and into the airbag, even if the seatbelt is on and "properly used".
The other option given is to place children in the back seat. How safe and aware is the driver going to be constantly checking the children in the back seat?
Shouldn't we, the general public, have been better informed before now, as to how these airbags really deploy, and the hazards (especially to small children) involved? Let us make our own informed choice as to whether or not we want to use them.
There are obviously flaws in the system or industry would not be "working on" new types of airbags and how they deploy. The existing airbag system now being used has already gone worldwide in use and production. They are going to be mandatory in all vehicles on both driver and passenger sides one year from now.
How many more children and adults are going to be killed or injured before something is done to correct the problems involved with these airbags?
Action is needed now!
Government and industry need to take immediate steps to correct these problems or at least give us the chance to make our own informed decision as to whether we choose to use the airbags or not.
Perhaps then, no other parent or family will need to have their child die in their arms, as my own child, Jordan, died in mine. There have been 5 children killed by airbags since March of 1995 alone!
We'd like to hear from you if you've had an airbag deploy and what, if anything, happened as a result.
We sincerely hope, and are thankful, that lives have been saved because of seatbelts and airbags.
Unfortunately our little boy was not among those lucky enough to survive his experience with one...and this is our way of trying to see that it doesn't happen again.
Signed,
Mark a. and Lynn Oliver,
Grandparents/Guardians
of 5 year old Jordan West,
killed by an airbag.
4070 so. Bridlewood Drive
Bountiful, Utah 84010
if you like...