To investigate eye injuries resulting from frontal automobile crashes and to determine the effects of frontal air bags. Methods:The National Automotive Sampling System database files from January 1, 1993, through December 31, 1999, were examined in a 3-part study that included an investigation of 22 236 individual crashes that occurred in the United States. A new 4-level eye injury severity scale that quantifies injuries based on recovery time, need for surgery, and possible loss of sight was developed.Results: Of all occupants who were exposed to an air bag deployment, 3% sustained an eye injury. In contrast, 2% of occupants not exposed to an air bag deploy-ment sustained an eye injury. A closer examination of the type of eye injuries showed that there was a statistically significant increase in the risk of corneal abrasions for occupants who were exposed to an air bag compared with those who were not (P = .03). Of occupants exposed to an air bag deployment, 0.5% sustained a corneal abrasion compared with 0.04% of occupants who were not exposed to an air bag.Conclusions: Using the new injury levels, it was shown that although occupants exposed to an air bag deployment had a higher risk of sustaining minor eye injuries, the air bag appears to have provided a beneficial exchange by reducing the number of severe eye injuries.

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This article presents the most comprehensive study of orbital fractures in automobile crashes to date. It is shown that both the incidence and the overall severity of orbital fractures decreases considerably with exposure to airbag deployment. This is accomplished because the airbag minimizes occupant contact with the windshield and steering wheel, which are the two leading sources of orbital fractures for occupants not exposed to airbag deployment.

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The purpose of this study was to investigate burn injuries resulting from frontal automobile crashes and to determine the effects of frontal airbags on the incidence of burn injuries. The study included 25,464 individual cases from the National Automotive Sampling System database files for the years 1993 to 2000. Occupants were at a significantly higher risk to sustain a burn injury when exposed to an airbag deployment (1.54%) compared with those who received a burn injury when not exposed to an airbag deployment (0.02%; P = 0.02). In contrast to previous publications, this study found that 1.53% of front seat occupants exposed to an airbag deployment sustained an airbag-induced burn injury. The vast majority of airbag-induced burn injuries were minor (98.7%); however, in cases with no airbag deployment, the burns were often much more serious, including fatal burns (29.6%). Occupant weight, height, sex, seatbelt use, and seat position were all found not to be significant in predicting the risk of airbag induced burn injury, whereas age and crash velocity were found to be significant.