"Dave Hinz" wrote in message
...
On Mon, 21 Jun 2004 18:58:42 -0400, George george@least wrote:
If there's one thing _not_ to use as a bad example of regulation, it's
the
airbag.

For folks who don't have sense enough to use belts, they're lifesavers.

Not really. The airbag is designed for them to be in position. Airbags
will
only be in the right place if the patient is held in place by the seat
belts - they work _with_ the belts, not _instead of_. They are
going to do their little "partially or fully ejected" trick without
belts, no matter if the airbags go off or not. If they're not where the
airbag expects them to be, _that_ is when you'll see more airbag-assisted
injuries - if your face is in the big pillow when it goes bang, it's
gonna hurt. Still softer than the glass, but...

I've noticed a big reduction in head injuries in my little county from
deployed bags. It's always a relief to survey the scene and not see
that
impact star in the windshield.

I don't think I've been to a scene with deployed bags and windshield
"football sign", but I'm not sure if that's specifically because of the
bags, or because of the people driving cars with, vs. without.

I have cut seven fatals from seatbelts in twenty years, four of which
also
had airbags deploy, but when the engine is in the passenger compartment,
or
the door intrudes past the center console, I don't think anything will
work.
Of ejected, two of probably 20 survived.

You do not want to be ejected. You _especially_ do not want to be
partially ejected (translation: head sticking out when the car rolls on
top of it).

Oh yeah, hundreds who wore the belts were collared and boarded as
precaution
only.

Yup. If the car is smacked hard enough to deploy the airbags, it's pretty
much trashed anyway - better to let the car's safety systems work together
to help you out. What this has to do with, what, Roundup on weeds, well,
who knows. But, people who say airbags aren't a valuable life-saving
development must have limited exposure to crashes and the results
of them.

Dave Hinz
(ff/emt)


I've also been to a number of accidents where airbags and seatbelts were
used. Seatbelts save lives. Shoulder harnesses safe faces. Airbags go a
bit further. I've been absolutely amazed at the level of damage to some
vehicles with no serious injury to the occupants of the vehicle. That's not
to say there wasn't the famous shoulder harness stripe down the chest, but
certainly no head impact.

The only injury I've seen from airbags is a burn or abrasion. One fellow
had the reverse image of his car logo impressed into his arm from the airbag
cover. I'll take that level of injury any day.

Michael (also an emt)


I strongly suspect that the reason airbags started to be popular in the late
80's and early 90's is that the patent (probably mid 60's) ran out and so no
one would have to pay royalties.