A lot of people celebrate the invention of the ‘airbag’ as a modern safety miracle. And to a point, this is understandable. After all, if airbags didn’t work (at least to a certain extent), we’d stop putting them into cars as a safety feature. But this also doesn’t mean that they’re without their faults or flaws. Unfortunately, airbags do pose some risks of their own.
And in this post, we’re going to break it all down…
We’re going to weigh the pros and cons of airbags, and talk about their benefits as well as their risks. Let’s jump into it, starting with a conversation about the benefits.
What Are The Benefits Of Having Airbags In Your Car?
1. They Decrease Impact Force On The Head
If you slam into something with your car, the force of the impact would normally throw your head forward. And if the force is strong enough, this leads to the head ‘slamming’ against the steering wheel, the dash, etc.
And this is very bad news!
One of the best benefits of airbags is that they can help to decrease the amount of force impacting a person’s head during a collision.
This can literally be a life saver!
2. They Provide Extra cushioning
During an accident, the extra cushioning that airbags provide around the head, neck, and spine can really help to decrease the odds of a debilitating injury. Sure, they’re not ‘miracle’ devices. But at least they help.
3. They Can Keep You From Being Ejected From The Vehicle
If you get hit (or hit something) hard enough while driving your car, there’s always a chance that you could be thrown from the vehicle. And that’s definitely dangerous. Another benefit of airbags is that they can decrease your risk of this happening. It doesn’t always work, and it isn’t a perfect system—but they do help sometimes. And when they do, they can significantly increase your odds for survival.
What Are The Risks Of Vehicle Airbags?
1. Ignition
This is where airbag designs can actually get a little bit ‘scary.’ See, airbags inflate due to a small explosion that occurs within the steering wheel. What’s basically happening when this occurs is that a small ignition produces a significant amount of nitrogen gas. This nitrogen gas fills the bag extremely rapidly—but it also runs the risk of detonating gasoline fumes (or other flammable components if they’re present). This can put people (especially the person in front of the airbag) at risk for burns.
2. Sheer Inflation Force
Airbags deploy at a surprisingly high velocity and speed. The actual deployment of said airbags can reach speeds of up to 200 miles per hour. The good news is that, on one hand, this is great for people who have just gotten into an accident—because this means that the airbag will serve to protect them from the blunt force trauma of smashing their face on the dash or wheel, and/or keep them from being ejected from the vehicle. The bad news, however, is that the airbag itself can actually cause quite a bit of damage, depending on how exactly things play out during the accident.
Here’s the thing:
200 miles per hour is nothing to sneeze at. If there’s a part of the body that’s located too close to the ignition/detonation point of the airbag—it’s highly likely that said body part is at least going to get slammed, bruised, and injured—if not broken, smashed, and fractured! So, with airbags, there’s good and bad. On one hand, they’re engineered to be as safe and as effective as possible. But it’s almost impossible to do away with all of the risk. And therein lies the problem.
Do You Have A Personal Injury Attorney?
If you’ve gotten injured due to an automobile accident, it’s always a good idea to hire a lawyer to represent you.
JT Legal Group explains it like this:
“You’ve gone through a terrible experience, and to add insult to injury – quite literally – you have all those legal matters hovering above your head.”
Even if your airbags deploy and cause more damage than the rest of the accident, you still need to seek legal representation—because the other vehicle may very well be at fault. And in such cases, you still deserve financial compensation for your pain, suffering, and injury.
Conclusion
There you have it!
Now you’re basically an expert on the benefits and risks of vehicle airbags. Equipped with this information, you’ll be ready to make yourself as safe as possible.
Be careful out there!
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