MYTHS AND FACTS ABOUT AIR CUSHIONS

Air cushions--often called air bags--reduce motor vehicle crash injuries, even in the most violent kinds of crashes. That fact has been recognized for more than a decade and has been affirmed by Secretaries of Transportation since the Johnson administration. Yet myths about air cushions persist. This report discusses those myths. Areas covered include: effectiveness as an occupant restraint, testing, combination of seat belt and air bag usage, air cushions as equipment offered on new cars, hazards of use, vehicular control, children, feasibility, protection in multiple impact crashes, expense, maintenance and replacement.

• Corporate Authors:

  Insurance Institute for Highway Safety

  1005 North Glebe Road
  Arlington, VA  United States  22201
• Publication Date: 1984

Media Info

• Features: Photos;
• Pagination: 10 p.

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Air bags; Automated vehicle control; Children; Costs; Feasibility analysis; Hazards; Injuries; Maintenance; Manual safety belts; Measures of effectiveness; Restraint systems; Testing; Traffic crashes
• Uncontrolled Terms: Effectiveness; Replacement costs
• Old TRIS Terms: Occupant restraint
• Subject Areas: Finance; Highways; Maintenance and Preservation; Safety and Human Factors; Vehicles and Equipment; I91: Vehicle Design and Safety;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00399372
• Record Type: Publication
• Source Agency: National Highway Traffic Safety Administration
• Report/Paper Numbers: HS-038 351
• Files: HSL, TRIS, USDOT
• Created Date: Sep 30 1985 12:00AM