Citation

O'Donovan S, van den Heuvel C, Baldock MRJ, Byard RW. Med. Sci. Law 2020; ePub(ePub): ePub.

Affiliation

Forensic Science SA, Australia.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2020, British Academy of Forensic Sciences, Publisher SAGE Publishing)

DOI

10.1177/0025802419892392

PMID

31969062

Abstract

Airbags are impact-activated safety devices which deploy from the interior of vehicles to protect occupants from trauma during crashes. Although airbags effectively reduce the risk of death and injury, this it is not without issues. For example, high-impact unbelted rigid-barrier testing in the USA led to the adoption of powerful, large airbags that were associated with numerous airbag-related deaths and injuries. In contrast, European designs were tested and certified in conjunction with the use of three-point restraint systems, meaning that the airbags could be smaller with reduced ‘punch-out’ power. An overview is provided of the mechanism of action of airbags and the associated non-lethal and lethal injuries that may be sustained by vehicle occupants.

Keywords Airbags, injury, death, mechanism

Language: en

Keywords

Airbags; death; injury; mechanism