iStockAir bags were introduced in the 1960s and were created to reduce injury associated with frontal impacts.... Although all studies have documented a benefit, measurement of the joint effect of air bags and seat belts after adjustment for confounding effects has remained difficult.
Thus, we undertook a matched case-control study to measure the mortality reduction associated with air bag deployment and seat belt use for drivers involved in head-on passenger car collisions, after adjusting for potential confounders. We hypothesised that using either an air bag or a seat belt would significantly reduce mortality and that using seat belts in combination with air bags would provide a synergistic mortality reduction on the multiplicative scale greater than expected with either restraint system....
Comparison of crash outcomes revealed significant differences for both drivers and vehicles. Drivers who survived were more likely to have had an air bag deploy (12.8% vs 7.8%) or to have used any seat belt restraint (64.1% vs 41.5%), and were 5.1 years younger on average than drivers who died.
Drivers who were ejected from the vehicle or whose vehicle rolled over were more likely to die. A lower vehicle weight was associated with an increased probability of a fatal outcome for the driver (fatal crash: mean vehicle weight, 1,225 kg; non-fatal crash: mean vehicle weight, 1,338 kg).
From 'Mortality Reduction with Air Bag and Seat Belt Use in Head-on Passenger Car Collisions', American Journal of Epidemiology
Thus, we undertook a matched case-control study to measure the mortality reduction associated with air bag deployment and seat belt use for drivers involved in head-on passenger car collisions, after adjusting for potential confounders. We hypothesised that using either an air bag or a seat belt would significantly reduce mortality and that using seat belts in combination with air bags would provide a synergistic mortality reduction on the multiplicative scale greater than expected with either restraint system....
Comparison of crash outcomes revealed significant differences for both drivers and vehicles. Drivers who survived were more likely to have had an air bag deploy (12.8% vs 7.8%) or to have used any seat belt restraint (64.1% vs 41.5%), and were 5.1 years younger on average than drivers who died.
Drivers who were ejected from the vehicle or whose vehicle rolled over were more likely to die. A lower vehicle weight was associated with an increased probability of a fatal outcome for the driver (fatal crash: mean vehicle weight, 1,225 kg; non-fatal crash: mean vehicle weight, 1,338 kg).
From 'Mortality Reduction with Air Bag and Seat Belt Use in Head-on Passenger Car Collisions', American Journal of Epidemiology
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