Head-Protecting Side Airbags Cut Death Rates

The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety released a new study that shows cars and SUVs equipped with side airbags that protect the head and body can dramatically reduce the risk of death. For SUVs, deaths were cut by more than half; for cars, it was a 37% drop. The IIHS performed a study in 2003 that saw similar results but didn’t have enough data until now to include SUVs. This study reinforces the auto industry’s voluntary mandate to equip all vehicles with head-protecting side airbags by 2009.

These tests highlighted side-impact crashes, not rollovers, another major concern of safety advocates. Side-impact crashes are extremely dangerous because passengers are left more vulnerable without the crush-zones built into the front and rear of cars.

There’s a federal ruling in the works that would make these types of systems mandatory, but this may be one of those times when the industry moves faster than the government. Crash results are so important to car sales that automakers have been known to equip models with additional airbags just one year getting after a poor score. 

[Full IIHS Report]

Comments

2001 lincoln light on dash says check engine soon. called lincoln shop. they said check the fuel cap and tighten if loose. if ok wait two or three days and if still on bring to shop and it will cost 109.00 dollars to fix.is this light only telling me about the fuel cap or does it show other problems? my oil and water is fine and the car drives as always.???

The check engine light is set whenever the ECM (Computer) detects a problem with the emissions control system. The gas cap off or loose is just one of many things it could be.
It could be a bad o2 sensor, MAP sensor or many other things. I would reccomend you get it checked out soon if it continues. Otherwise you could damage the very expensive catalytic converters.$1000 or more

Car makers seems to forget the back seat passenger safety, especially the one sat in the middle. Aren't any airbag model will pop in middle to protect driver and passengers head to head collide in accident?

The driver and passenger's heads will typically be traveling in about the same direction during a crash; not toward one-another. With this in mind, "partition airbags" would likely be considered an unnecessary waste of resources. Cranium-to-cranium collisions usually only occur in vehicles when someone accidentally drops something on the floor... and no-one calls it.
;-)