This paper is a continuation of an earlier study assessing the effectiveness of Chrysler driver airbags. That study and this one compare the driver fatality rates of Chrysler passenger cars before and after the introduction of the driver airbag. Because of wide variation in fatality rate changes from carline to carline and the small sample sizes in the initial study, it was believed that a couple more years of exposure would lead to convergence among the carlines. The earlier study included 1986 through 1990 Fatal Accidents Reporting System (FARS) data, while this one includes 1986 through 1992 data. While the fatality and exposure data increased substantially between studies, the carline to carline variance largely remains unchanged. This indicates that carline driver demographic differences and other factors contribute to the system effectiveness. In the aggregate, the driver fatality rates are 29% lower in frontal crashes and 22% lower overall in Chrysier vehicles equipped with driver airbags. (A) See also C 2710 (In: C 2572 b) (IRRD 864744).
Samenvatting