Change Your Driving Habits To Lesson Injuries From Airbags
By: Jane Rohde | Posted: 08th August 2006
Department of Emergency Medicine at the University of Louisville and the Kentucky medical Examiner's Office are conducting an on-going 10 year study to identify and describe injuriesassociated with air bag deployment. Their study shows that in addition to the well known dangers to children and small adults, any occupant in close proximity to a deploying air bag can sustain severe injuries such as amputation of fingers, hands and forearms, pulverized compound fractures of the forearms, fractures of the upper arms,and even death. These injuries and possible death can occur no matter what the speed of the vehicle is, and they occur not only from the rapid forceful deploment of the bag itself, but from the rigid airbag cover which splits open, or sometimes just blows off (at speeds up to 200 miles per hour) when the bag deploys. If injuries associated with airbags and the module cover are to be prevented, or at least ameliorated, then the upper body, arms, face, and hands must not be in proximity to the cover at the time of deployment. This may not be possible if the driver's height necessitates a full forward position of the seat, or when his or her hands are touching the module such as when honking the horn or setting the cruise control. Forearms may be in front of the module cover while turning the steering wheel. Automobile manufacturers are investigating ways to reduce the injuries from airbags by using load cells to sense a passenger's weight and position.Unfortunately, these remedies will not be fully available in automobiles until 2012.Until then It may be possible to reduce the risk by changing our driving habits.
Unless you have turned off your airbags, your should take the following precautions:
1. When you drive, grip your steering wheel at the sides or bottom.Keep hands, thumbs, fingers, and arms off of the hub of the steering wheel. This will make it more likely that your hands and arms will be below the airbag should it deploy.When turning the steering wheel do not your arm in front of the airbag cover.
2. Do not blow your horn at the onset of an accident.
3. Passengers keep hands, fingers, thumbs or arms off of the dashboard near the plastic air bag module cover. In case of an accident, never brace yourself with your hands and arms on the dashboard.
4. Push the seat, either driver or passenger, back as far as possible. The driver needs to keep at least 10 inches (according to the government) back from the airbag and horn cover (12 inches according to other experts).Pedal extenders can help a driver reach the pedals if driving with an extended toe is uncomfortable, but in many cases, seeing the road is impossible when a shorter driver's seat is moved back.
5. Tilt the passenger seat may also be back slightly.
6. Children and frail passengers should always be in the back seat, properly restrained by a seatbelt or car seat. If this is not possible, a passenger side air bag on/off switch may be installed to shut off the front seat passenger side air bag.
7. Never place a rear facing infant car seat in the front seat with the infant's head toward an active dashboard air bag.
If you fall into one of the governments at-risk-from-airbag groups, you can install an airbag switch.Use your seatbelt. Ironically, seatbelts are the best protection from airbag injury since they will prevent you from being thrown forwardwhichwill put you too close to the airbag as it detonates (at 200 mph and with about 2000 lbs of force).
For more airbag safety and automotive related articles, check out http://www.best-automotive-reporter.com.
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Tags: steering wheel, cruise control, automobiles, close proximity, occupant, miles per hour, amputation, air bag, forearms, automobile manufacturers, emergency medicine, airbags, load cells