In comparison to drivers exposed to steering-wheel airbag deployments in frontal crashes, there have been fewer front-seat passengers exposed to airbag deployments because: (1) many of the cars in crashes did not have dual airbags; and (2) because the front passenger seat is less often occupied. Of 826 airbag crashes detailed by the University of Michigan Transportation Research Institute (UMTRI) crash investigators, there were 145 front-seat passengers exposed to instrument panel mounted airbags. Most of these front-seat passengers (124) were involved in frontal crashes. Ninety-two of them were 16 years of age or older. Of these passengers, 70% had a Maximum Abbreviated Injury Scale (MAIS)-1 injury. None of the MAIS-2 injuries were directly related to airbag deployments. Of the AIS-3+ level injuries, about two-thirds were not airbag related.
Samenvatting