Association between side air bags and risk of injury in motor vehicle collisions with near-side impact.

BACKGROUND Side air bags (SABs) have been introduced in an attempt to reduce the risk of injury in near-side-impact motor vehicle collisions (MVCs). The impact of SABs on MVC-related mortality and morbidity has yet to be evaluated with a large population-based study. The objective of this study was to assess the effectiveness of SABs in reducing the risk of injury or death in near-side-impact MVCs. METHODS A retrospective study investigated outboard front seat occupants involved in police-reported, near-side-impact MVCs using data from the General Estimates System (1997-2000). The risk of MVC-related nonfatal and fatal injury for occupants of vehicles with and without SABs was compared. RESULTS Front seat occupants of vehicles with SABs had a risk of injury similar to that of occupants of vehicles without SABs (risk ratio [RR], 0.96; 95% CI confidence interval [CI], 0.79-1.15). Adjustment for the potentially confounding effects of age, gender, seat belt use, seating position, damage severity and location, and vehicle body type did not meaningfully affect the association (RR, 0.90; 95% CICI, 0.76-1.08). CONCLUSIONS There is no association between the availability of SABs and overall injury risk in near-side-impact MVCs. Future research is necessary to determine the effectiveness of SABs in preventing the injuries for which they were specifically designed.

[1]  A. Lund,et al.  Driver fatalities in 1985-1993 cars with airbags. , 1995, The Journal of trauma.

[2]  P C Dischinger,et al.  Injury patterns associated with direction of impact: drivers admitted to trauma centers. , 1993, The Journal of trauma.

[3]  G McGwin,et al.  Splenic injury in side impact motor vehicle collisions: effect of occupant restraints. , 2001, The Journal of trauma.

[4]  Gerald McGwin,et al.  The association between occupant restraint systems and risk of injury in frontal motor vehicle collisions. , 2003, The Journal of trauma.

[5]  A. Lund,et al.  Reductions in deaths in frontal crashes among right front passengers in vehicles equipped with passenger air bags. , 1997, JAMA.

[6]  J H Siegel,et al.  Safety belt restraints and compartment intrusions in frontal and lateral motor vehicle crashes: mechanisms of injuries, complications, and acute care costs. , 1993, The Journal of trauma.

[7]  C. Crandall,et al.  Mortality Reduction with Air Bag and Seat Belt Use in Head-on Passenger Car Collisions , 2001 .

[8]  B. Boulanger,et al.  Injury pattern and severity in lateral motor vehicle collisions: a Canadian experience. , 1996, The Journal of trauma.

[9]  Peter Cummings,et al.  Association of driver air bags with driver fatality: a matched cohort study , 2002, BMJ : British Medical Journal.

[10]  E. S. Nowak,et al.  Driver and front seat passenger fatalities associated with air bag deployment. Part 1: A Canadian study. , 2002, Journal of forensic sciences.

[11]  P. Zador,et al.  Automobile driver fatalities in frontal impacts: air bags compared with manual belts. , 1993, American journal of public health.

[12]  E. S. Nowak,et al.  Driver and front seat passenger fatalities associated with air bag deployment. Part 2: A review of injury patterns and investigative issues. , 2002, Journal of forensic sciences.

[13]  Tohru Ohshima,et al.  Air bag injuries--a literature review in consideration of demands in forensic autopsies. , 2002, Forensic science international.