Combination Side Airbags Reduce Death and Injury Risk

This brief article discusses combination side airbags, that is, those that protect the head and torso in a passenger vehicle. The author summarizes a recent study from Australia that reinforced prior research on the effectiveness of side airbags that protect passenger vehicle drivers in near-side crashes. The researchers found a 51% reduction in the odds of death and injury to all body regions and a 53% reduction in death and injury risk to the head, neck, and face in vehicles equipped with head-and-torso-protecting airbags. Readers are referred to the full research report, by A. D’Elia, et al, available at www.monash.edu.au/miri/research/reports/muarc312.html.