Understanding the Real Risks: Why Prioritizing Accident Preparedness Matters

According to recent statistics from auto insurance company Esurance (Now Allstate), more than 77 percent of drivers have engaged in at least one collision, meaning that the likelihood of being in a collision throughout a 1,000-mile journey is 1 in 366. Furthermore, per 17.9 years the typical motorist will submit an insurance case.

According to these figures, the typical individual files three to four vehicle accident claims over their entire life. Overall, these statistics show that the ordinary person in America, in this particular example, does not prioritize worrying about obtaining an automobile accident. It’s likely that you don’t consider the possibility of a collision when pulling out of your garage. You’re probably more focused on just reaching the end point and continuing with your life.

Are Airbags a Lifesaver?

According to a new government research, a staggering 6,377 lives have been saved and countless injuries have been avoided because of approximately 3.3 million airbag deployments in automobile accidents. 84,000 passenger-side airbags were among the 584,000 airbags that reportedly deployed in 2009, according to the insurance industry.

Without a question, these gadgets have stopped injuries and saved lives, but are there any drawbacks to airbags?

To provide another example, the U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) identified 175 deaths that were brought on by airbags between 1990 and 2000. 104 of the deaths were children, with the remaining deaths mainly being shorter female adults. It’s intriguing that none of these fatalities should have perished in the hit itself because they all died in low-speed collisions.

The Purpose of Airbags

The leading passenger airbag is concealed behind a dashboard panel, while the driver’s airbag is located inside the steering wheel. The driver’s side airbag is roughly the size of a giant beach ball when fully deployed. When expanded, the passenger airbag really has a lot more space. The driver’s airbag is significantly closer to the driver compared to the passenger’s airbag, which is the justification for this. In order to shield the passenger, it must expand to a bigger size.

A collision sensor is connected to the airbag. The airbag is going to activate if the automobile is involved in an accident that is severe enough to trigger the sensor. For the sensor to activate the airbag, an impact typically has to be a head-on or almost head-on collision at any speed more than eight to ten miles per hour.

Injury Risks Associated with Airbag Deployment

In the case of a serious collision, airbags are intended to shield both passengers and drivers. There are circumstances, though, in which airbags may end up doing more damage than benefit. Airbags can occasionally result in serious injuries, particularly among passengers who are not buckled up in their cars.

The following list includes some typical injuries that airbags may trigger:

  • Brain injuries: The bulk of the force from an airbag deployment will be felt in the head and face. Concussions, swelling in the brain, bruising, and occasionally the loss of memory might result from this.

  • Sight injuries: If a person’s face is struck, the shock of an airbag deploying might also cause injury to the eyes. In the event an airbag strikes you, you could get severe corneal abrasions, a black eye, or hemorrhage in the front of the eyes. If you wear glasses, it’s possible that the airbag will shatter or damage the glass lenses of your spectacles. You can get more facial and ocular injuries as a result of the process.

  • Dental injuries: Although they are frequently disregarded, dental injuries still happen and can be quite serious. Even though the human body only consists of a small fraction of teeth, dental injuries may cause excruciating agony. Teeth may get chipped, shattered, or even knocked out of their sockets by the pressure of the airbag inflating. To cope with your tooth injury, you might need to visit an urgent care dentist that offers sedation dentistry.

  • Fractures: Airbags inflate at speeds between 100 and 220 miles per hour since they must do so quickly to offer protection. Bone and soft tissue damage are possible at this high speed. Fractures of the jawline, nostrils, eye sockets, and other parts of the face are frequent. You can avoid slipping beneath the airbag and receiving a serious hit to the head by utilizing a seat belt.

Additional harm brought on by airbags includes:

  • Bruises on the limbs, chest, and face of the upper body

  • Arms, knees, chest area, face, and internal organ bruising or contusions

  • The palms, arms, and torso are burned

  • Injury to the wrist and sprained fingers

  • Fractures, strains, and blunt force damage to the cervical spine

  • Broken arms, wrists, ribs, face, ribcage, and skull

  • Concussions, loss of consciousness, brain swelling, brain bruising, and traumatic head injuries

  • Liver, spleen, blood vessels, heart, arteries, lungs, and brain stem punctures

  • Heart bleed

  • Bouts of asthma, coughing, and irritations of the throat

  • Airbag dermatitis, which causes skin irritation

  • Eye damage

  • Loss of hearing and other ear injuries

  • Bleeding inside

  • Fetal damage, placenta rupture, or abruption in expectant mothers

Airbag Deployment Issues

When they fail, airbags may result in potentially serious injuries. The crash sensor failure is one of the more troublesome ones. These may consist of:

  • When a sensor fails, the airbag will deploy when it shouldn’t (for instance, when there hasn’t been an accident).

  • During a collision, a sensor could not even try to activate the airbag.

  • One airbag could be deployed by a sensor, but not the other. The airbag might be deployed by a sensor, but it does so just in time.

When the airbag deploys, timing is crucial. The driver’s or passenger’s face is now excessively near to the airbag after being delayed even a tiny amount of time.

Guidelines for Preventing Airbag Accidents

Every driver has a duty to do everything possible to keep everyone in their car safe, particularly if the airbags happen to activate. These are some guidelines for being safe:

  • Always buckle your seat belt when driving.

  • Only the back seat should be used for kids under 12 years old.

  • Use the proper size/style car seat for children and newborns.

  • Keep chairs a minimum of 10 inches away from the dashboard and steering wheel.

  • Always buckle up; from 1990 until 2008, 80% of airbag-related fatalities included passengers who were not buckled up.

  • Make sure kids are safely buckled up to prevent any distractions for the driver.

Hurt in a Car Accident? Contact Us!

Since being included into contemporary automobiles, airbags have prevented countless fatalities, but they have also resulted in innumerable catastrophic injuries. When operating a car or riding in one, always abide by the airbag safety precautions, and make sure your passengers comply as well.

Feel free to contact us at The Accident Network Law Group and book a completely free consultation/call. Our team helps clients across multiple cities in California and we can be reached 24/7 over the phone over via our website’s chat.

Source: WHAT ARE YOUR CHANCES OF GETTING INTO A CAR ACCIDENT?