This paper describes experience obtained from the analysis of 249 real-life accidents in Germany in which front airbag-equipped cars were involved. The performance of the airbag as a safety system and the injury patterns of the drivers and front seat passengers are analysed. In comparison with belted drivers and front seat passengers (without an airbag) it was possible to observe a significant reduction in severe and fatal injuries to the belted and airbag-protected drivers; but for the belted and airbag-protected front seat passengers airbags resulted in no major reduction in injuries. Driver airbags led to a substantial reduction in head injuries, and so in frontal car collisions with airbag deployment the injury severity MAIS 2+ in the case of belted drivers was dominated by injuries to the extremities, especially to the feet. The injury severity MAIS 2+ for belted front seat passengers, on the other hand, was dominated by injuries to the thorax. In this accident material, fatal injuries even with airbag deployment were only observed in very severe frontal impacts with a high degree of intrusion of the passenger compartment ("disaster cases"). The system of "airbag plus safety belt" has to be optimised in the future and "intelligent airbag systems", especially with regard to the passenger airbag, are required. "Intelligent airbag systems" must avoid an airbag deployment on the passenger side if there is no passenger present and also have to solve the conflict with rearward facing child seats. (A)
Abstract