From: jbii@HDFS1.acd.com ( John O. Bell II )
Subject: Re: Air bag tests
Summary: Real protection...
Keywords: air bags seat belts head injuries
Organization: Applied Computing Devices, Inc., Terre Haute IN
Date: Fri, 13 Nov 1992 14:14:00 GMT

In article <kf0bZcC00iUzI1e4J5@andrew.cmu.edu> Truman Fenton <tf26+@andrew.cmu.edu> writes:
>In article <1dm08oINNc3s@armory.centerline.com>, jimf@centerline.com (Jim Frost
>) writes:
>|> lmcstst@noah.ericsson.se (Stamos Stamos) writes:
>|> >From a local paper: Air Bags offer best protection, test show
>|> 
>|> The newest Motor Trend has a "Top Ten" article which includes the top
>|> ten cars with the lowest driver head injuries (I was impressed to find
>|> that mine was one of them).  There are a number of other
>|> safety-related top-ten lists too.
>|> 
>|> Cars with air-bags had a remarkable number (nearly all) of the top-ten
>|> safety spots for driver head injuries and driver chest injuries.
>|> Passenger injury statistics showed no such obvious trend (perhaps
>|> because few cars have two air bags, although my feeling is that the
>|> driver needs it more because of the steering wheel).
>
>I would have to disagree.  My father is a Radiologist in West Texas and
>has seen a great number of car accident victoms.  He says that while the
>steering wheel is more likely to cause facial injuries, the passenger in
>the front seat is in the most dangerous position without an airbag. 
>According to my father, the steering column absorbs the impact earlier
>and collapsable steerig columns allow a longer distance for
>deceleration.  As for the passenger, s/he travels at a great velocity
>and stops instantly upon impacting the dash board.  Since the distance
>over which the passenger's body accererates is much greater, the
>passenger impacts at a much greater velocity.  Furthermore the impact
>causes a sudden deceleration -- dashboards only give about a 1/4 inch or
>so.  This sudden impact is more traumatic and can cause muck more
>serious internal injuries.
>
>The best solution for everyone is a helmet, a four point harness, AND
>and airbag!  More realistically two airbags in the front of the car.

I agree about the effect of the steering column... they are specifically
designed to absorb impact, and the driver also has something to brace
him/herself against, which tends to keep your head from hitting anything
(an argument for driving with both hands on the wheel?).

Good start... I'd follow up by saying you should have a 
five-point harness (submarine under THAT), dual airbags, PROPER
protection from side impacts (air bags don't cover this right now), and
a well-engineered roll cage area for the passengers. Another point; I don't
know if helmets are all that great an idea if you don't adjust your
headrest properly!!! If this is overlooked, the added weight from the
helmet will only serve to multiply the effects of head/neck injuries.
People don't want to wear a helmet in their car anyway (although it
obviously helps).

Usually, if the car's structure and restraints are properly designed,
and the equipment is adjusted correctly for the person using it, air bags
become a moot point (note racing designs). But what the heck, your
buttshield can never be too thick :).

>Another point of interest:  Passengers in the rear seat(s) who are not
>wearing restraints are the most dangerous threat to those in the front
>seats.  In a head-on collision the front seat passengers experience
>traumatic accelerations, but if a passenger in the rear of the vehicle 
>is not wearing a seatbelt, then their body will hit the back of the
>front seat with a tremendous amount of momentum thus collapsing the seat
>-- unless it is a Mercedes or a Volvo -- and inflict tremendous injury
>upon the person in the front seat.  NOTE:  this goes for large pets as
>well!!!

I agree, rear passengers tend to become projectiles in head-on/rear-end
collisions. Once again, give them a five-point harness and a well-adjusted
headrest and MAKE THEM USE IT. As for pets in cars, they should be in a 
pet cage that is belted into the seat... if there is a better way to do
it, I would like to know, because even then the pet gets tossed about
in the cage during the crash.
 
John Bell