When installed in the right manner, Airbags can prevent you from injuries and life-threatening situations. Unfortunately, there are times when the things that keep you safe put you in perilous situations. If you have experienced airbag injuries, no matter its fault, demanding compensation is your right.
Airbags Statistics that You Must Know
- The need to install frontal airbags in new passenger vehicles began in the year 1999.
- Front crashes were minimized by 29%, and deaths of 13 years and older age groups were reduced by 13%.
- As per NHTSA reports, frontal airbags saved 2790 lives of individuals.
Are Airbags the Prominent Cause of Injuries?
Airbags have been devised to keep the drivers and passengers safe on the road. These become the underlying reason for injuries, including whiplash injuries, traumatic brain injuries, and neck and spine injuries. Airbags are installed at the speed of 100mph per hour, and body collision at such speeds leads to severe implications. At times, the airbag deploys later than its actual time, and mechanical or sensor issues are the problem’s root cause. Sometimes, the body moves so forward that you’re close to the airbag, leading to airbag injuries. The chemicals present in the airbags are the root cause of the injuries in certain cases.
Common Airbags Injuries that You’re Going to Experience
Airbag injuries are likely to affect certain face and body areas. Let’s get to the ins and outs of the regions that get affected after an airbag car crash injuries:
Face
The primary region that often comes into contact with the airbags is the face—airbag impact in such a region in the hardest manner. The frontal airbag takes the responsibility of safeguarding your face and head from the collision. Sometimes an airbag protects you from such a collision, but the force applied by the airbag strikes your face. This force might damage your jaw, nose, and eyes. In certain cases, eye injuries become so severe that it makes an individual blind temporarily or permanently.
Chest
Airbags play a significant role in safeguarding your body from colliding with the car’s front seat. However, it is only possible if the airbags deploy on time. An airbag opening from the steering wheel and colliding with your body at the front makes the chest area prone to injury. In certain cases, it severely impacts the soft tissues present in the chest.
Injuries at the Neck & Back
Whiplash leads to serious neck and back injuries. These airbag injuries after car accidents demand medical treatments and therapies.
Internal Injuries
The chemicals present in the airbags make breathing difficult for asthma patients.
How to Avoid Airbag Car Crash Injuries?
After airbag deployment, you can take some steps to avoid injuries which have been listed as follows:
- Don’t drive without wearing seat belts. Seat Belts prevent your body from shifting to an area where the airbags will deploy. Airbags are a supplement to the seatbelts, not a replacement alternative.
- Try to stay as much away as possible from the steering wheel or passenger side dashboard. Keep a 10-12 inches distance between your chest and airbag enclosure while driving.
- If you are driving with a 12 years old, ensure that they’re properly buckled up or tucked in a child restraint device properly.
- Driving must be carried out by holding the steering in a 9 or 3 o’clock position or 8 4 o’clock position to prevent injuries from the face, arms, or wrists.
- Take the passenger side front seat as away as possible, and the child shouldn’t ride with the passenger side airbag. If the child is sitting at the passenger seat, ensure that the child is buckled up.
- Ensure that the child is buckled in a secure and proper restraint system. The driver should take this safety aspect seriously, an ideal approach to avoid airbag car injuries.
The Bottom Line
Airbags have become the most prominent cause of injuries and death. Nineteen different manufacturers were asked to replace frontal airbags, which became a safety concern for the drivers. The U.S has faced 19 deaths due to airbags injuries, and airbag replacement from a trusted store like ‘The Auto Parts Shop‘ would fix the issues. Save yourself and your loved ones from life-threatening situations and drive without any hassle.