How have changes in air bag designs affected frontal crash mortality?
OBJECTIVE
To determine whether front air bag changes have affected occupant protection, frontal crash mortality rates were compared among front outboard occupants in vehicles having certified-advanced air bags (latest generation of air bags) or sled-certified air bags with and without advanced features.


METHODS
Poisson marginal structural models were used to calculate standardized mortality rate ratios (MRRs) for front occupants per registered vehicle.


RESULTS
Vehicle age-corrected mortality rates were lower for drivers of vehicles having sled-certified air bags with advanced features than for drivers having sled-certified air bags without advanced features (MRR = 0.88; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.81-0.95), including unbelted men and drivers younger than 60. The mortality rate was higher, though not statistically significant, for drivers having certified-advanced air bags compared with sled-certified air bags with advanced features (vehicle age-corrected MRR = 1.13; 95% CI: 0.97-1.32) and significantly higher for belted drivers (MRR = 1.21; 95% CI: 1.04-1.39).


CONCLUSIONS
Advanced air bag features appeared protective for some occupants. However, increased mortality rates among belted drivers of vehicles having certified-advanced air bags relative to those having sled-certified air bags with advanced features suggest that further study is needed to identify any potential problems with requirements for certification.
Braver
Elisa R
ER
Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, USA. elisabraver@gmail.com <elisabraver@gmail.com>
Shardell
Michelle
M
Teoh
Eric R
ER
D000063:Accidents, Traffic / Q000401:mortality*; D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D017278:Air Bags / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence / Q000592:standards; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D016001:Confidence Intervals; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D016015:Logistic Models; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D016012:Poisson Distribution; D012737:Sex Factors; D013997:Time Factors; D014481:United States / Q000453:epidemiology; D055815:Young Adult