From: utzoo!watmath!dmmartindale
Newsgroups: net.auto
Title: Re: one more on belts
Article-I.D.: watmath.3340
Posted: Wed Aug 18 23:50:32 1982
Received: Thu Aug 19 01:36:58 1982
References: utzoo.2391

I very much doubt if airbags will ever be close to seatbelts in effectiveness.
Seatbelts (lap+shoulder) do a good job of preventing you from going forward
or up, and a fair job of preventing side movement.  Basically, they
try to hold you in your seat.  Airbags, on the other hand, provide something
soft to crash into while you're in the process of flying out of your seat.
To provide protection in as many directions of movement, you'd have to be
surrounded by them.  Also, they are good for exactly one impact - they
deflate before they can be useful in a second impact in a multi-car
collision.