Airbags are one of the most important safety features in modern vehicles. Since their widespread adoption in the 1990s, they have been credited with saving tens of thousands of lives. By cushioning occupants during a collision and preventing direct impact with the steering wheel, dashboard, or windshield, airbags significantly reduce the risk of fatal injuries.
But while airbags are designed to protect you, they can also cause harm in certain circumstances. Understanding both their benefits and their risks can help drivers and passengers use them more safely and effectively.
Below, our friends from Warner & Fitzmartin – Personal Injury Lawyers discuss how airbags can injure you during a car accident.
The Force Of Deployment
Airbags deploy incredibly fast — often in less than 1/20th of a second — at speeds approaching 200 mph. This speed is necessary because crashes happen in an instant, and airbags need to inflate before the occupant’s body makes contact with the interior of the vehicle.
However, this forceful deployment can itself cause injuries. Common examples include:
- Bruises, abrasions, or burns to the face, chest, and neck from the fabric or chemical propellant.
- Nasal fractures or facial bone injuries if the head is positioned too close to the steering wheel or dashboard.
- Wrist, arm, or hand injuries if the driver has their hands at the top of the steering wheel during deployment.
While these injuries can sound concerning, they are generally less severe than the head trauma, skull fractures, or internal injuries that might occur without an airbag.
Seating Position Matters
One of the biggest factors in whether an airbag causes injury is where you sit. If you are too close to the steering wheel, the airbag may strike you before it has fully inflated, increasing the force of impact.
Safety experts recommend keeping at least 10 inches between your chest and the steering wheel. Adjusting your seat, tilting your steering wheel downward, and sitting upright with good posture can all help reduce the risk of airbag-related injuries.
Children And Airbag Safety
Children are particularly vulnerable to airbag-related injuries because of their smaller size. For this reason:
- Children under 13 should always ride in the back seat.
- Infants in rear-facing car seats should never be placed in front of an active passenger-side airbag, as deployment could be fatal.
- Even older children in booster seats are better protected in the rear of the vehicle, where airbags are less forceful.
Parents should also follow the manufacturer’s recommendations for child restraint systems, as these are carefully designed to work in conjunction with a vehicle’s airbag system.
When Airbags Malfunction
While airbags are generally reliable, defects do occasionally occur. Examples include:
- Delayed deployment, which means the airbag fails to provide timely protection.
- Overly aggressive deployment, where the force exceeds safe limits.
- Failure to deploy, leaving occupants unprotected.
- Defective inflators, which in some recalled models have caused airbags to rupture and spray shrapnel into the cabin.
In fact, in recent years, millions of vehicles were recalled because of defective airbag inflators linked to serious injuries and fatalities. This highlights the importance of regularly checking whether your car is subject to recalls and getting necessary repairs promptly.
Minimizing Risks While Maximizing Protection
The good news is that most airbag-related injuries can be minimized by following a few simple steps:
- Always wear your seatbelt. Airbags are designed to work with seatbelts, not replace them. Without a seatbelt, the force of the airbag alone may not be enough to prevent serious injury.
- Sit upright. Slouching or leaning too far forward increases the risk of injury during deployment.
- Keep both feet on the floor. Resting your legs on the dashboard can lead to devastating injuries if an airbag deploys.
- Hold the wheel properly. Placing your hands at the 9 and 3 o’clock positions instead of 10 and 2 helps reduce the chance of wrist or arm injuries.
Airbags remain one of the greatest safety innovations in automotive history. While they are not perfect and do carry some risks, the injuries they may cause are almost always less severe than the life-threatening injuries they prevent. By maintaining proper seating position, ensuring children ride in the back, keeping up with recalls, and always buckling your seatbelt, you can gain the maximum protection airbags provide while reducing the risk of harm.
If you have been injured by an airbag during an accident, a motorcycle accident lawyer can provide you with legal advice and guidance.