Avoid Airbag Eye Injury in Car Accidents

While seat belts and airbags are intended to add a high margin of safety and protection in car accidents, recent research suggests that their improper or incomplete use may actually increase the risk of airbag related eye injury.
 
Research on Airbags & Eye Injury
A recent report in Survey of Ophthalmology suggests that the incidence of eye injury and facial trauma from airbags is actually increasing. How can this be happening? Airbags were originally designed as a supplemental safety system to seatbelts, to protect the head from hard surfaces in frontal crashes. It is critical that all passengers wear their seatbelts even if your car has airbags in the front, back and sides of the passenger cabin because the seatbelts restrict and prevent you from being quickly and forcefully thrown forward and colliding with the rearward inflating and accelerating airbags as they are deployed during a car accident. Airbag deployment and passenger collision with airbags has been reported to cause eye injuries including corneal abrasions, alkali burns and the serious effects of eye compression such as retinal tears, retinal and vitreous hemorrhages, retinal detachment and even cataracts. SO-the message is clear. For eye protection and safety in motor vehicle accidents, all occupants of cars should wear safety belts at all times even if your vehicle has airbags!
 

If you or someone you know has a question about eye injury from airbags in cars,  please call The Eye Care & Surgery Center at 908-789-8999, visit The Eye Care & Surgery Center, Google+ or facebook.com/eyecareandsurgerycenter to schedule an appointment.
 

The Eye Care & Surgery Center is located at 592 Springfield Avenue, Westfield, New Jersey 07090, 10 Mountain Boulevard, Warren, New Jersey 07059 and 517 Route One South, Suite 1100, Iselin, New Jersey 08830, and is conveniently located for patients from throughout central and northern New Jersey.