How much do airbags actually help reduce injuries in California?
All modern cars are equipped with airbags that are designed to keep the driver and passengers safe in the event of an accident. However, some researchers think that these may not actually be helping to reduce the amount of car accident injuries in California, as they are intended to do.
The reason for this isn’t that the airbags are not doing their job on their own, but that drivers who know that they have extra safety features may drive more dangerously than they would without those features. This can increase the amount of accidents, which pushes injury rates up even though the airbags are helping in individual accidents.
The same argument has been made for features like Anti-Lock Braking Systems. In fact, when studying the data that the insurance companies put out after the development of these anti-lock systems, the accident rates rose notably.
The study was carried out by researchers from Purdue University. The head of the team said that a lack of vigilance on the part of drivers, as they trust in the cars instead of their own skill behind the wheel, is what makes things more dangerous. As people relax, they do not pay as much attention to driving safely, knowing that the car is designed to keep them safe, and they could actually be in more danger.
One thing remains clear: Even modern safety devices cannot eliminate the high risk of injury in an auto accident. If you have been involved in one, be sure that you know what rights you have to financial compensation for your injuries, your medical bills, and other losses.
Source: Auto Spies, “Do Airbags Really Help? Researchers Are Not Convinced” accessed Feb. 09, 2015