- A six-year old child was killed from the impact of an airbag deployed after a road accident in Vashi, near Mumbai.
Airbags are essentially a safety feature in vehicles that can help save lives in case of a road accident. However, it may also cause safety hazard if proper road safety precautions are not taken. The death of a six-year-old child in a road accident in Vashi, near Mumbai, is one such case that highlights lack of road safety awareness among several Indians. The child, seated in front row, was killed after he was struck by one of the deployed airbags after the vehicle he was traveling in was involved in a low-speed crash.
The incident took place on December 21 when the Maruti WagonR the child was traveling in collided with a MG Astor SUV. According to the police, the hatchback was hit by the rear end of the Astor SUV after it had crashed into a divider on the road. The collision led to the airbags inside the hatchback deploying. The child was rushed to a hospital, but he died during treatment. The doctors said the child did not have any visible injury marks. He was reported to have died due to polytrauma shock.
Death by airbags: a rare case or safety oversight?
As freaky as it may appear, death by airbags is not very uncommon around the world. In most cases, children are the victims. Recently, a toddler died in her mother’s lap after hit by a deployed airbag in Kerala. In both cases, the fault lies with the vehicle owners for not taking precautions to ensure the child’s safety.
Putting a child on lap in the front row or allowing a child sit alone on the passenger side, even with seat belts on, can lead to such tragedy in case of an accident. In case of frontal impacts, the child and other occupants in the front row of a car will bear most of the brunt which can lead to fatality. Putting a child, especially toddlers and infants, in a car without child seats harnessed to the ISOFIX is a recipe for such tragedies. It is part of essential road safety awareness one needs to have when driving out with family.
What are airbags? How do they work?
Airbags are cushions used as passive safety feature in a vehicle which deploy immediately in the case of a crash. These airbags are usually made of thin, nylon fabric and are folded into various parts of a car like the steering wheel, dashboard, seat or the doors. The airbags are inflated through a sensor placed in the car to help cushion the occupants from metals and other materials that can cause injury, and even death, in case of a road accident. The deployment of airbags can happen in case of crashes at low speeds too.
At what speed do airbags deploy?
The airbags are inflated after solid propellant burns to create hot nitrogen gas. The airbags are deployed at a speed of up to 320 kmph or almost the blink of an eye to protect occupants. It also deflates itself after the gas dissipates through tiny holes in the airbags within a second.
How to ensure child safety in a car?
Sitting very close to where airbags are positioned is considered to be unsafe. Placing adult occupants at least 10 inches away is considered safer to avoid injury caused by deployed airbags. In case of a child, the airbags can cause serious injury or even kill if they are not buckled with seat belts. They will be flung towards the dashboard during hard braking or frontal impact. Therefore, it is safer to place a child in the rear seats while traveling by car. Ensure using child seats for infants or toddlers and buckle them withe ISOFIX anchors offered in most cars to avoid them being thrown around during a crash.
Get insights into Upcoming Cars In India, Electric Vehicles, Upcoming Bikes in India and cutting-edge technology transforming the automotive landscape.
First Published Date: 25 Dec 2024, 12:30 PM IST
Leave a Reply