Georgia Injury Law Blog
The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety has been issuing its much anticipated ratings for auto accident and injury protection for years now.A new analysis by the Insurance Institute shows that drivers of vehicles driving a car with a high rating by the Institute had an enhanced chance of surviving a side impact auto accident, compared to drivers of vehicles that did not have a good rating.
The researchers in the analysis tested cars that had side airbags. The tests were conducted at 31 mph. The researchers found that a person’s chances of dying in a side impact accident decreased by approximately 70% when his car was rated Good, compared to a car which was rated Poor. A person driving a car that was rated Acceptable was 64% less likely to die in a side impact crash, and a person driving a vehicle rated Marginal was 49% less likely to die in a side impact accident.
Side impact accidents are typically high-injury accidents, because there’s little space between the occupant and the other car to cushion the impact. Approximately 23 percent of all auto accident deaths in the US every year are caused in side impact accidents.The serious injuries that Atlanta car accident lawyers see in accidents like this are neck injuries, fractures, chest injuries, abdominal injuries, internal injuries and pelvic injuries.
According to the Insurance Institute, the analysis shows that while side airbags do have their role to play in preventing serious injuries or fatalities in side-impact accidents, the structural integrity of a vehicle also matters greatly in preventing these injuries.