An evaluation of airbags

Since the emergence of airbags, they have been surrounded by controversy. Do airbags protect the occupants from death and/or injury? Do they perform better under certain vehicle or occupant characteristics (seatbelt use, impact speed, impact direction, vehicle body type, role, age, gender, height, or weight)? A logistic regression was conducted using the Crashworthiness Data System (CDS), provided by the National Highway Transportation Safety Administration (NHTSA). Analysis revealed that airbag presence alone reduced death and/or injury outcomes, especially for seniors without seatbelts. Airbag deployment, however, was found to increase rates of death and/or injury. For frontal impacts, however, airbag deployment was found to reduce fatality rates.