[stryder]

I noticed in the NY Times, which requires registration and the IIHS (insurance institute of highway safety) has released a study saying side airbags actually save lives, and can be as effective as seatbelts in saving lives (though clearly they serve different purposes)

Here's the article: http://www.iihs.org/news_releases/2003/pr082603.htm

There doesn't seem to be enough data about head airbags yet, though the article shows a car with them...

[RedUn]

Well they weren't exactly there for fancy

[stryder]

Quote: Originally Posted by RedUn

Well they weren't exactly there for fancy

Well yes, but I think the point is someone's actually verified this. There are plenty of people who still doubt whether seat belts save lives, so its always good to have data to support it.

[RedUn]

The more safety devices the better as far as I know, they may not do a great deal on their own but when it comes down to it and they all work together they can make quite a difference as shown.

[chiph]

That's good to hear. Hope I never have to find out for myself!

Chip H.

[Eric_Rowland]

Call me a skeptic, but what else is the IHS gonna say? - "Nah, don't worry about those airbags after all..."
The statistics are also fundamentally flawed unless there is a significant sample size of the SAME VEHICLE both with and without side airbags. Otherwise you can't take into account the structural component of the impacted vehicles. Only larger, 'safer' cars have had side airbags up to now (note the article indicates Volvos and BMWs).
Show me stats with vehicles of the same class/size and I might find it meaningful.

IIHS tends to play games with statistics WRT speed as well - i.e. a drunk guy talking on his phone crashes after driving 56mph - thus it is called a speed related crash.
And don't even get me started on radar guns.

/rant off

[stryder]

IIHS doesn't quite have the same rationale in side airbags as speeding. For one, side airbags are usually an extra cost, so if they actually do something, they'd want to support it, because it saves medical costs, even though they're stupidly expensive to fix when they go off.

I think there is a reasonable sample size in cars across the same ranges when they say In more recent tests in which a movable barrier representing the front end of an SUV or pickup struck the sides of small SUVs, the three best performers had head-protecting side airbags. Sure there's the confounding factors of if you have airbags, you're probably designed to be safer, but its still relevant in a trend, albeit only described in full-size SUV's

With speeding, you're doing something illegal for one, and two they have an interest in trying to prove their agenda that speed kills. I don't know of the same agenda for airbags really...

[Bad Manners]

Side airbags reduce the forces experienced by crash test dummies in side impact collisions.

That said, they also reduce the forces experienced by humans in side impact collisions. That's a good thing .

I must say it is important to keep your speed down, but why are you guys arguing about speeding over the posted speed limit? 30mph and 40mph are not exactly fast, and fall within most speed limits imposed in this country. Yet the force of a frontal impact at 40mph and a side impact at 30mph are absolutely incredible.

[ipartridge]

so how many people specced them?, I did as I thought £200 on a £14500 car was small beer and then hoped that I wouldnt actually use them

[chiph]

I think they're standard equipment in the US. Which is a good thing with the size of vehicles here.

Chip H.

[GMINI]

Responding to the title which is all i've read (besides the last thread above the quick reply box (which reminds me paul should automaticly close the window if you take more than 30 seconds )).

Sidebags also cause unecessary hearing loss and body damage. eg: my buddy who had both his drivers side airbags explode on him for hitting a road bump with his MCS. Careful out there. Not too easy to find that defect... or maybe too easy

[stryder]

Quote: Originally Posted by GMINI

Responding to the title which is all i've read (besides the last thread above the quick reply box (which reminds me paul should automaticly close the window if you take more than 30 seconds )).

Sidebags also cause unecessary hearing loss and body damage. eg: my buddy who had both his drivers side airbags explode on him for hitting a road bump with his MCS. Careful out there. Not too easy to find that defect... or maybe too easy

The study was about actual side airbags, they said not enough cars had head airbags yet to tell much about them.

By body damage, you mean your Buddy got bruises and cuts from the bags accidently going off? or just the car's interior got all messed up? (too many bodies in the topic)

[GMINI]

body damage as in the former - but heck yeah on the latter, the MINI's insides do get ripped apart!

Oh and i hit that same bump seconds before him and my MCS is still packed full of original airbags.

Cheers, Stryder!