Texas drivers: why airbags matter to your… kidneys?

When you think about airbag safety, you probably think about the airbag protecting your face or upper body from smashing into the steering wheel in a crash.  You probably have no idea what that airbag could do to protect your other internal organs in an accident.

 

Recent research shows that your vehicle’s airbags are actually protecting you from renal injuries – injuries to your kidney and other nearby organs.  If you have frontal airbags in your car, you are 45.3 percent less likely to suffer from renal injury than a vehicle occupant without airbag protection.  Side-impact airbags are even better – they reduce your chances of renal injury by 52.8 percent.

 

Why are these findings important?  If you were hurt in a car wreck, you may already know that the blunt force trauma of a crash can seriously injure your internal organs – especially your kidneys.  One-half to two-thirds of all blunt force kidney injuries result from motor vehicle wrecks, so finding ways to protect vehicle occupants’ kidneys is important.

 

Why does research like this matter?  Two reasons:

1. Solid data about the usefulness of safety features like airbags encourages manufacturers to put these devices in all vehicles, and it encourages lawmakers to mandate that such safety features are required.
2. It holds manufacturers responsible when safety devices don’t work.  By knowing how much protection you miss out on when an airbag fails to deploy, it is easier to prove that a faulty or improperly repaired airbag could have saved you from serious injury.

 

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