Pediatric Airbag Injuries

The advent of airbag technology has helped to reduce the injuries to belted occupants in motor vehicles during moderate to severe frontal and near frontal crashes [1–3]. Airbags have been in use since the early 1970s. As of July 2001, airbags have saved 7224 lives including 6066 drivers and 1158 front right passengers. However, the airbag deployments at low crash severity showed higher injury probability of occupants. The majority of airbag fatalities are associated with low speed impacts with deployments. As of July 2001, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has reported 144 fatalities and serious life threatening injuries to children due to passenger airbags [4]. It is also reported that four children died and one child sustained life-threatening injury due to a driver side airbag. The publication from Transport Canada noted that the airbags increase the overall risk of injury of children under the age of 10 by approximately 21% [5]. Although the airbags have saved many lives, they are also responsible for fatalities and serious injuries during low speed severity collision. The present study reports pediatric airbag injuries sustained during low speed crashes.