ARLINGTON, Va., Oct. 5 (UPI) -- A study by the Arlington, Va.-based Insurance Institute for Highway Safety says side airbags are helpful in reducing driver fatalities in some collisions.
The institute said the safety devices aimed at the heads of car occupants reduced driver deaths by an estimated 37 percent in cars struck on the driver's side. Side airbags protecting only the chest and abdomen reduced deaths by 26 percent.
"We found lower fatality risks across the board -- among older and younger drivers, male and female drivers, and drivers of both small cars and larger passenger vehicles," says Anne McCartt, institute vice president for research and an author of the study.
The institute said the safety devices reduce death risks even in collisions with higher riding vehicles, including pickup trucks and sport-utility vehicles, which generally increase the risk of fatality in collisions.
The institute said installing side airbags in all vehicles could significantly reduce road fatalities.
"Once every passenger vehicle on the road has side airbags that include head protection for front-seat occupants, we can save as many as 2,000 lives per year," McCartt concludes.
