AIRBAG EFFICIENCY IN FRONTAL REAL WORLD ACCIDENTS 2001-06-0010

The analysis of accidents studied by LAB shows that, among injured belted drivers involved in frontal crashes, in cars without airbags, head injury risk is the highest along with lower limbs ‘s one.

The LAB investigation of severe accidents, involving new car models, regularly carried out all over the French territory, has given the opportunity to analyse head injury risks for about 300 belted drivers in crashes with airbags. The average severity of these accidents was in the range of EuroNCAP tests. (between 36 and 65 km/h EES) The present paper’s purpose is to compare the risk of head injury for belted drivers with and without airbag. Other body area injury risk, like neck and upper limbs, has also been considered.

These severe accidents analysis shows high airbag efficiency in reducing severe facial and brain injuries.