Airbags for the Head

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has cleared the way for airbags that protect people’s heads.

NHTSA now allows cars with airbags that deploy from the roof to meet a side-into-pole crash test at 18 mph. The vehicle will be aligned so the dummy’s head, if it weren’t protected, would strike the pole. Cars that pass this demanding test then will have to meet the head form test at 12 mph, instead of 15 mph in areas where the airbags are stored.

This change is important because head injuries are a leading cause of death when vehicles are struck from the side. NHTSA estimates that head airbags can save about 600 lives each year. They can also prevent serious injuries in rollovers because they stay inflated for several seconds, long enough to protect people when a vehicle turns over.

Some models of BMWs, Volvos, Saabs and Fords already have airbags to protect the head.