Airbags have obviously saved the lives of several accident victims. Saving people is what they are built to do, however, they could do the opposite sometimes and injure or kill people. Now, I am not just referring to the Takata airbag scandal. I am also talking about the airbag that are functioning properly which gives you the confidence to overspeed with the assurance that nothing can happen because your car has 10 airbags protecting you from left, right and center.

Before we go into some of the injuries that can be sustained when airbags deploy, I’d like to state that this safety equipment can kill children with ease. So, it is very important that kids should be kept away from the front seat until they are 13-15 years old or big enough to fit into space properly.

Even as an adult, these are some of the injuries that can be sustained when airbags deploy:

 

1. Facial Injury: The face is always the first part of the body to come in contact with the airbag. This makes it an easy target just like back in secondary school days when boys will always come out of a fight with a swollen face. The airbag does a good job in preventing the windshield from coming for your face.. but, the speed and strength at which it deploys can be worse than a punch in the face.

 

2. Eye Injury/Blindness: The eyes are particularly vulnerable to injury. Cases of eye injury, temporary blindness or permanent blindness have been reported in airbag deployment incidences. Although, permanent blindness is not a frequent occurrence, but it is still as scary as it sounds.

 

3. Chest Injury: With the airbag, your chest will probably not hit the steering and your body will also be prevented from being thrown out of the car. However, the airbag comes to protect you fast and hard and this can lead to fractured ribs, broken bones and damaged tissues.

 

4. Limb Injury: Imagine having a hand on the path of an airbag explosion. The result can be catastrophic. Shoulder injury is also possible to occur.

 

5. Neck and Back Injuries: Neck and spine fractures are also possible occurrences which have been suffered by a couple of accident victims.

 

6. Burn: Airbags are made of nylon fabric and its explosion can cause skin inflammation, burn and damage as well as chemical irritation.

 

7. Internal Injuries: This is the silent killer. If an airbag that can cause all the injuries listed above as well as death, then it can easily cause internal bleeding. An accident victim can also react to chemical releases during the deployment. So make sure you get yourself examined by your doctor if your airbag ever deploys.

 

These injuries obviously don’t sound like something anyone will want and I am sure you’ve been thinking of how to prevent them outrightly. Well, complete prevention cannot be guaranteed, however, the negative effects can be mitigated by avoiding excessive speed, using your seatbelt and sitting in an appropriate driving position amongst other.

 

Have you ever experienced an airbag deployment? Tell us your experience to enable us learn from you.

 

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