A recent study shows that shorter and
taller people have an increased risk
of serious injuries from the
deployment of air bags.
The study done by Oregon professor Dr
Craig Newgard has found that people
with smaller stature, for instance
less then 4 feet, 11 inches, and
larger stature, i.e. more than 6 feet,
3 inches, are at increased risk from
air bag injuries.
Dr Newgard’s study was conducted with
over 65,000 motor vehicle crashes
during an eleven-year period (1995 to
2005). The findings were that 2.5 to
2.6 per cent of drivers and passengers
were seriously injured. Of those
seriously injured, taller drivers have
a 5 per cent greater risk of serious
injury and that shorter people have a
4 per cent increase of having a
serious injury.
Dr Craig Newgard, of the School of
Medicine (Emergency Medicine and
Public Health & Preventive Medicine)
at Oregon Health and Science
University (Portland), announced the
first scientific conclusions of height
as a contributing factor in air bag
injuries.
The study advises drivers to sit as
far back from the airbags as possible
to reduces chances of serious injury.
The study report advised that people
should be more than 25 cm back from
the cover of the air bag. It also said
it would be better to wear seatbelts
and shoulder harnesses, to not lean
forward while driving, and to hold the
steering wheel from the sides so as to
not place arms in front of air bags.
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