Seat belts prevent more deaths than airbags

Using a seat belt reduces the risk of death by 65%, according to a study of 51 031 driver-passenger car crash pairs by Cummings and colleagues (p1119). Driver air bags offer relatively little benefit in road vehicle crashes, with just an 8% reduction in the risk of death, whether the driver was belted or not. The reduction in risk was greater for women (12%) than men (6%). Seat belts in combination with an air bag give a 68% reduction in the risk of death.