Braver E R, Ferguson S A, Greene M A, Lund A K
Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, Arlington, VA 22201, USA.
JAMA. 1997 Nov 5;278(17):1437-9.
Virtually all new cars now are equipped with passenger air bags. Determining whether passenger air bags are saving lives is important, particularly because passenger air bags have caused some deaths among children and adults.
To assess the effectiveness of passenger air bags in reducing the risk of death in frontal crashes for right front passengers.
Air bags are designed to protect occupants in frontal crashes. Using Fatality Analysis Reporting System data for calendar years 1992 through 1995, the relative frequency of right front passenger deaths in frontal vs nonfrontal fatal crashes was compared for cars with dual air bags and for cars with driver-only air bags.
Odds of right front passengers dying in frontal compared with nonfrontal fatal crashes were computed for 1992 through 1995 model year cars with dual air bags and for cars with driver-only air bags. Percentage reductions in right front passenger deaths in dual air bag vehicles were estimated.
Right front passenger fatalities were 18% lower than expected in frontal crashes of cars with dual air bags and 11% lower in all crashes. An estimated 73 fewer than expected right front passengers died in 1992 through 1995 model cars with dual air bags during 1992 through 1995. The risk of frontal crash death for right front passengers in cars with dual air bags was reduced 14% among those reported to be using belts and 23% among belt nonusers. Children younger than 10 years in cars with dual air bags had a 34% increased risk of dying in frontal crashes.
Passenger air bags were associated with substantial reductions in fatalities among right front passengers in frontal crashes. However, more children are being killed than are being saved by air bags. Immediate countermeasures to reduce the dangers of air bags to children and adults are suggested.
如今几乎所有新车都配备了乘客安全气囊。确定乘客安全气囊是否能挽救生命很重要，特别是因为乘客安全气囊已在儿童和成人中导致了一些死亡事件。
评估乘客安全气囊在降低正面碰撞中右前乘客死亡风险方面的有效性。
安全气囊旨在保护正面碰撞中的驾乘人员。利用1992年至1995年的死亡分析报告系统数据，比较了配备双安全气囊的汽车和仅配备驾驶员安全气囊的汽车在正面致命碰撞与非正面致命碰撞中右前乘客死亡的相对频率。
计算1992年至1995年车型年配备双安全气囊的汽车以及仅配备驾驶员安全气囊的汽车中，右前乘客在正面致命碰撞与非正面致命碰撞中死亡的几率。估计双安全气囊车辆中右前乘客死亡人数的减少百分比。
在配备双安全气囊的汽车正面碰撞中，右前乘客死亡人数比预期低18%，在所有碰撞中低11%。在1992年至1995年期间，1992年至1995年车型配备双安全气囊的汽车中，右前乘客死亡人数比预期少约73人。在报告使用安全带的人中，配备双安全气囊的汽车中右前乘客正面碰撞死亡风险降低了14%，在不使用安全带的人中降低了23%。配备双安全气囊的汽车中10岁以下儿童在正面碰撞中死亡风险增加了34%。
乘客安全气囊与正面碰撞中右前乘客死亡人数的大幅减少有关。然而，安全气囊造成死亡的儿童多于挽救的儿童。建议立即采取对策以降低安全气囊对儿童和成人的危险。
