A REVIEW OF DRIVER AIRBAG DEPLOYMENTS IN EUROPE AND JAPAN TO DATE

This study examines data from 186 crash-damaged vehicles in Europe and Japan fitted with driver airbags. There were 130 cases of airbag deployment in the vehicles, 97 of which were in single-impact frontal crashes. The majority of drivers in these impacts sustained AIS 1 injuries with the head/face being the most commonly injured body region. Some AIS 2+ injuries occurred to the head/face but these almost always occurred when the optimum occupant protection circumstances were compromised in some way. The most common site of AIS 2+ injuries was the lower limb followed by the upper limb. 12 out of 14 AIS 2+ injuries to the upper limb occurred in vehicles whose airbag deployed. Slight differences were observed in injury outcomes when a differentiation was made between airbag sizes although this may have been a function of sample size. Overall, encouraging results are apparent. However, this is a preliminary survey. Follow-up studies with more data are clearly the next stage if a comprehensive overview of the real-world performance of airbags is to be attained. [A] For the covering abstract, see IRRD 896528.