Originally posted by 88SVT:
Originally posted by weargle:
Go ahead there Darwin. Airbags save lives.

Sure - how many? Unless you have proof that in any accident airbags saved a life which wouldn't ordinarily have been spared with only lap and shoulder belts, I have a valid argument. I don't think anyone can know that for sure except in the most extreme cases. In that instance you'd hear comments like "good thing they had airbags" but who wouldn't say that - even if it wasn't necessary? Airbags deploy at what speed - 20 mph? Sometimes they don't deploy even when they should. Did anyone die as a result? How many? Whatever. Do you think you'd get a broken nose or fingers or ankles at that speed? Highly doubtful unless you weren't wearing belts. In how many cases did the person die anyway - even with airbags deployed? Maybe the latest technology bags/curtains will be better. Until then, I remain unresolved on the airbag issue.
Karl



1. The point of the airbag is to stop your chest from hitting the steering coloum. If you slam your chest hard enough into the coloum, you can go into cardiac arrest or be crushed so much you can't breathe.

2. Every single new car since the mid 90s something has come with airbags. If they didn't help, and hurt more than they saved, then why do all cars have them.

3. The injuries recieved from airbags are much less than not having one. Think of a car hitting a tree at 60mph. There is a sh!tload of momentum coming to a halt real fast. Even the seatbelt isn't going to be able to hold you all the way back. Plus, when the dash/steering wheel ends up in your lap in under a second, I'd like to have a cusion of air between it and me.

You want stats? Here are some direct from the NHTSA website. The results of this study were presented to Congress.

"In purely frontal crashes (principal impact of 12:00, excluding cases where the most harmful event was a rollover), air bags are now associated with a statistically significant fatality-reducing effectiveness of 34 percent."

Percentages equal reduction of injury to: Head,Chest, Upper Extremity, Lower Extremity

Moderate Injury
Air bag plus lap-shoulder belt 83% 59% 45% 37%
Air bag alone 46% -31% 25% 21%
Manual lap-shoulder belt 59% 14% 54% 53%

Serious Injury
Air bag plus lap-shoulder belt 75% 66% -40% 78%
Air bag alone 16% 18% -14% - 5%
Manual lap-shoulder belt 38% 54% 28% 79%

You need more proof than that?


[color:"green"]-Matt R

'99 Tropic Green LX, Zetec, ATX