USA Today reports, “Air bags may save lives in car crashes, but increasingly, they’re becoming safety problems themselves – at least when it comes to an increasing frequency of recalls.” This year Honda and Toyota have recalled 1.5 million vehicles due to air bag issues and last year a record 22 vehicles were recalled because of air bags. USA Today notes that the increase in air bags recalls is due increasing use and sophistication. While “a National Highway Traffic Safety Administration study found that air bags saved 2,788 lives in one sample year, “the “issue is whether they’ll inflate when they’re supposed to, or whether they’ll cause injuries on their own.” Some air bags may inflate without a crash while others may inflate prematurely and deflate before a person is cushioned. Sean Kane of Safety Research & Strategies, says that “with all the snafus, some airbags hold the potential to ‘create more injuries than they can prevent.’”
From the American Association for Justice news release.
