Airbag vs. No Airbag

Safety
41

I’ve seen absolutely zero credible evidence that adding airbags affects driver behavior. Assumptions and extrapolations are not evidence.

On the other hand, I have seen considerable evidence that airbags significantly reduce the forces proven to cause serious injury in specific types of accidents, said evidence compiled with extensive testing under properly controlled conditions.

I’ll go with the physics and the controlled testing any time. I’ll accept that air bags save lives based on this evidence.

Behaviors, on the other hand, are often a mystery. I’ve driven plenty of the most common SUVs, including the Jeep GCs we had at work that I often took on trips, and none of them handled or took curves anywhere nearly as well as cars. Yet some people drive them as if they were race cars… and yes, they crash. They hang them out to the limit on curves, and the moment an unexpected event happens (like a bird relieves itself on the windshield) they lose control. Why they hang them out on the edge is beyond me. But they do. But the ones that do did so before they had airbags too.

People don’t drive based upon their safety systems. They drive either in a manner that they feel in control or in a manner that makes them feel like a racecar driver. Much of that impulse is based upon the vehicle’s handling, much of it is based upon… I dunno, perhaps their desire to feel macho? Perhaps their need to feel like Agent 007? If anyone here has actual evidence to the contrary, if anyone here has actual evidence that people’s driving behaviors change based upon airbags, I’d sure like to see it.

42

Car safety features have improved at the same time car handling has improved. Some people the equate the more aggressive driving because the have better safety features…when in fact it’s because they have much better handling. I’ll bet over half the people on the road don’t know what safety features their vehicle has and weather it’s better or worse then the vehicle they drove in the 90’s.

43

Excellent points Mike. And I agree, I’ll bet that if you did a survey fewer than one in 50 could tell you about their car’s safety features.

44

You’d be safer with airbags. But you’d be safer if you wear a helmet when you go for a drive too. But I doubt you are looking for helmets. How much is safe enough is a matter of personal choice. Cars were pretty safe in 1984 as I recall. Both lap and shoulder belts were required. And BMW’s tend to have excellent brakes.