The paper illustrates the extent of protection provided to each body region at low, moderate and high levels of crash severity. More than 100 crashes with air bag deployment and severe occupant injuries are documented in files from the Special Crash Investigation Study and from the William Lehman Injury Research Center Study, both sponsored by NHTSA. These data files permit in-depth analysis of air bag related injuries and the environment in which they occurred. For the severely injured occupants, cases with chest/abdominal injuries at the limits of restraint performance are summarized. These cases suggest priority in measuring the potential for injuries to the liver, spleen, and intestine. In addition, cases of brain stem injury have been observed in low severity crashes involving small statured individuals. The fatal injuries documented by the NASS/CDS system in the U.S. suggest that heart and arterial injuries are the most common causes of death in cases where the air bag may have contributed to the injury. (A)
Samenvatting