Airbags Save Lives, May Sacrifice Eyesight

Compared to 25 years ago, today's motor vehicle occupants survive high impact collisions 32% more frequently thanks to the use of seat belts (primary restraints) and vehicle airbags (supplemental restraints). Believe me, I would much rather drive around with these devices in my car than without them. As with every safety system there have to be compromises. For example, above 50 mph seat belts are pretty useless in a head-on collision because the mechanics of the crash exceed the physical tolerance of the seat belt webbing. At low speeds an unrestrained front seat passenger is in grave danger if the airbag deploys. The airbag may cause more injuries than the crash itself.

Five percent of motor vehicle accident victim injuries involve eye trauma caused by facial contact with a deploying airbag. With sudden deceleration the body is moving forward to meet the exploding airbag. That's right, exploding! The airbag inflates in less than 50 milliseconds - faster than a blink. The expanding gas used for rapid airbag inflation is generated by a small controlled explosion inside the dashboard.

Ophthalmologists from Brown University and Penn State University medical schools wanted to analyze the variety of eye injuries that occur in airbag-deployed collisions. They scoured over 9,000 records from a single metropolitain Level 1 trauma center between 1997-2005. They discovered 47 documented eye injuries.

Here's how the numbers broke down with the occupants of the 47 airbag-worthy crashes:

• 21 of 47 occupants did not wear seatbelts and 71% of them sustained serious eye injuries
  
• Only 76% of this group recovered 20/40 vision or better
  
• 14% of this group ended up legally blind

Meanwhile

• 26 of 47 occupants were wearing seatbelts and only 31% sustained serious eye injuries
  
• 96% of this group recovered 20/40 vision or better
  
• Nobody in this group ended up legally blind

The authors conclude that seatbelt use is associated with fewer airbag eye injuries, less severe eye injuries, and better visual outcomes.

So, now you have two reasons to wear your seatbelt: to protect your life after colliding with other vehicles and to protect your precious eyesight from your own airbag.

REFERENCE: Rao SK. Ophthalmology, March 2008, pages 573-576.

Related Topics:

• Test Your Skills: Car Safety Quiz
• Whiplash: What Predicts Recovery?

Technorati Tags: auto, safety, airbags, eye, injury

Photo: iStockPhoto.com