Airbags and car crashes
One of the major innovations in car crash injury prevention over the past twenty years has been the development of the airbag. Airbags are now fitted to at least the driver's seat position in the majority of new vehicles, meaning that they are now increasingly seen as a basic standard rather than an optional safety feature.
Most road safety experts are at pains to point out that airbags should be viewed only as a Supplementary Restraint System (SRS) rather than a stand-alone method of car crash injury prevention. This means that they work in tandem with seatbelts in order to reduce the likelihood of personal injury.
Research shows that the existence of airbags has a consistent link with a reduction in road accident head injuries. Yet their benefits are not always clear-cut, with some campaigners doubting their efficacy.
However, on balance it would seem that driver seat airbags prevent more injuries than they cause. The US's National Highway Traffic Administration estimate that for every 4,000 lives saved by an airbag, 60 lives are lost as a result of an airbag causing fatal injuries during inflation.
The fact that airbags can cause serious injuries is hardly surprising when it is considered that, in the UK, they inflate within 25 milliseconds of sudden deceleration at a speed of around 160 mph. Such dramatic inflation has the potential to cause a whole litany of injuries, from abrasions and burns to fractures, head injuries and sudden hearing loss.
Risk of these kinds of airbag injuries can be reduced by ensuring that seats are not positioned too near the steering wheel. As a rule of thumb, a distance of 10 inches (25 cm) is a good idea, although it is always best to check with the vehicle manufacturer.
Shorter and less heavy people may have trouble with adhering to this prescription, as they will often have trouble reaching the pedals and steering wheel comfortably from such a distance. In these cases it may be necessary to move the seat forward but tilt the back-support backwards in order to get the optimum protection.
Pregnant women should also take care to ensure that they are positioned as far back as possible from the airbags deployment zone, as there is limited evidence to suggest that airbags may endanger the lives of unborn children. It is well advised for both pregnant women and people of a more diminutive stature to check with the vehicle manufacturer and make any necessary adjustments.
Although there might be concerns about the effectiveness of driver seat airbags for some drivers, the Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents recommend them where properly adjusted and used in conjunction with a seatbelt.
Making a no win, no fee car crash compensation claim
If you have suffered personal injury in a car accident that was at least in part attributable to another driver's actions, you may well be able to claim compensation.
YouClaim's panel of no win, no fee solicitors contains a team who specialise in securing compensation for people who have suffered personal injury in road accidents.
Yet there is so much more to us than being "no win, no fee". Win or lose, we never charge our clients a single penny in legal costs or fees, while our no-cut commitment ensures all our winning claimants 100% of the compensation awarded them.
If you would like to find out more about how we can help you, fill out an online claim form or request a callback.
Alternatively, if you would like to speak to us now, call 0800 10 757 95 and we will put you in touch with the solicitor best suited to handling your car crash claim.
