Road traveling and road transportation are some of the oldest methods of road uses since the birth of technological era and the commencement of human civilization. Automobiles which replaced a number of transportation means such as the use of animals’ like horse, donkey, and bulls was one of the early inventory. Its rapture to the human race was received with high appraisal for it was aimed at saving time. Furthermore, it acted as means of linking two places which are far from one another within the shortest period. The inventory of automobiles increased the number of people’s movements from one area to another.
Initially, many adults could travel using vehicles while children were being left at home with baby cares. During those times, road accidents were minimal or there were rare in most parts of the world. Perhaps this was because the numbers of vehicles on the roads were few. The frequently accidents which occurred in the early times were mostly caused by poor road condition. Numerous roads which were constructed were weather roads which were full of pot holes and unevenness. Thus, head on collision which is the main cause of the invention of air bags safety idea were some thing unheard off. (Braver, 2005)
As technology and invention advanced with the new knowledge of the early nineteenth century, sophisticated automobiles were made which could move with a very high speed than the first one. The high speed vehicles caused a lot of accidents which were more commonly on head on collisions. lose of control of the drivers and the failure of breaking systems could often lead to numerous lose of live by the passengers.
The increased accident rate was an alarming issue that caused many governments from various countries to introduce traffic controls systems. The systems are still in use, although they are somewhat advanced or changed in one way or the other. The advancement is correlated to the traffic congestions which have showered the present cities in the years of 1950s. The placement of all these traffic control systems and traffic officer has not helped much in the reduction of accidents in the cities and general road use. Therefore the introduction of air bags was as result of the search for safety device for automobiles. (Arbelaez, 2001)
The help to safe the world from these hazardous accidents was borne by Allen breed, who owned the idea of the only crash sensing technology. Her invention dated back to 1968, at time at which technology which not very much advanced. Her first invention of the sensor and safety system was considered highly of advantageous to cease the road accident injuries and deaths. This resulted to formation of an organization for the provision of technical and support services. However, this was just an advancement of earlier ideas of 1950s. Such ideas are attributed to two noble men of two different countries. These were noble men germane Walter linderer and American john Hedrick.
The application of the ideas got higher momentum in the developed countries by early 1970s. Many companies try to come up with the real matter with ford Car Company building an experimental air bag in 1971.. Although, it had the enthusiasm to be the pioneers of first air bag vehicles, there efforts were not swiftly enough; hence the splendid general motors tested its Chevrolet automobile with the airbags in 1973. The competition was then made stiffer and the Toronado gave out the premier car with the passenger air bag. The continuity of competition on the modification of automobiles since the invention work up to date has continued to be stiffer day by day. (Morris, 1998)
Although, road safety has for long been debatable issue, and many people have been optimistic about the airbags ideas, there are massive barriers which often come across the idea. Since the years of 1970s and 1980s, controversy on the airbag has been roaming around on it viability to function and be equipped in vehicles. The working and the installing of the systems were the prior problems which were major milestone in the overall argument.
Once the puzzles found solution, it seems that another problem is also created. The in stallion and the function of the systems have been for last two decade very effective. Many vehicles are now installed with a front passenger air bag which is an automated safety device. However, the allegation and data result from researches has proved that the use air bags as safety device have turned to the other way round. The repercussions of airbags have been terrifying to most children who are seated near to it.
This is does not mean that the use of airbags is totally all in vanity. The airbags have helped a lot to safe the lives of passenger whether in minor crashes or major ones. The great job they do can not be overlooked or despised. They actually protect both restricted and unrestrained passengers on travel when they get involved in an accident. Such is there uniqueness in the safety and rescue methods. When the vehicles get into a collision or any accident, the air bags are inflated from various parts inside the car. The inflations cover the passengers from movements hence preventing the persons from hitting the hard parts of the vehicle.
They marvelously perform the protection from all body injuries and wounds are scarcely released. This is especially when we have the full protection of airbags system. This encompasses the two categories which are designed to reinforce the safety from directions. These are the front passenger air bags and the side impacts air bags. The combinations of the two airbags systems can safe what a precious person life own. But to some extent the two have not worked to satisfactory and the need of safety belts has often been put at stand. (Zuby, 1999)
It is surprising enough for many residents living the United States. Many people wonder why there are very few numbers of vehicles installed with the safety gadget. During the reasercyh carried out on the vehicle inspection centre in 1990, it was revealed that the vehicle installed with this system constituted twenty percent of the total number of automobile flying in the states. These were just equipped on the driver’s side.
Further data resources displayed by the report were that the number of the vehicles with front passenger’s airbags was much less to that of driver’s airbags. During this time there were rampant injuries and deaths which left many people in the state as either orphans, widows widowers. The severity of the situation led the government to endorse policies which enforced the installation of the system in all public service vehicles. By the dawn of the new millennium, 98 % of the new cars which were flying in the states had been equipped with the driver’s air bags and75 % plus were having front passenger airbags.
Such tremendous mitigation resulted in to the declination of deaths reducing from five persons every week to one person in a week. The escalating conditions of orphan since then have been shown door of closing down with optimism that the whole process would change for better situation. (Williams, 1996)
However, some amazing situations do arise. The airbags which were once seen to provide safety in time of accidents has sometimes caused accidents themselves to the passengers. Both children and adults have fallen victims of airbags. Although safety for passenger is improved in accidents involving vehicles installed with the system, a few accidents have been of serious concerns. In some mild accidents, passengers involved have received severe injuries and others have lost their lives. This has been indiscriminative of the age of persons: males and females, boy and girls, ladies and gentile men have all fallen into the traps of airbag accidents.
The causes of such despairing incidents are not only caused by the airbag failure but also the wrong use of them. Following the reports from death data base centre, it was alleged that in the previous year, fives children were killed by air bag despite the fact that they was buckled in the right manner. Normally fury arises when certain incidents like this one occur. Hence, following the killings, public cries were heard from far distances and the air their grievances to the government. Throughout the states, people wrote letters to the authorities to address the manufacturers to install the vehicles with smart bags. ( Cammisa, 2000)
The safety of air bags to the children is no more favorable. Considering the supersonic speed at which the air bag inflates, the control of its impact is minimal. It therefore dominates all the activities which occur during the impacts of an accident. The passenger air bag inflates at a speed of more than 180 miles per hour. This is incomparable to a blink of an eye. Such high inflations blast an energy that can only be encountered by a strong and stout body.
If it comes in to contact of tender bodies, there are high chances on devastation to occur. Such blasts of air bag have severely hurt or kill children in many parts of the world. Children under the age of twelve, who are exposed close to air bags, are vulnerable to obliteration if an accident occurs.
Children are blessing to a family and the whole nation. They are the hope of future prosperity for any country which aspires to achieve its futures goals. So, the road safety is paramount not only to the adults alone but also to the younger ones. It is therefore the task of all the community to taken concern over the matters related to children. When road matters are at stake, drives cannot close their eye not see or their ear not hear the cries of children calling for safety places. While the children’s bodies are tender and the airbags are hard billowy pillows, the drivers can take initiatives of controlling injuries of these pillows by having the children buckled at the rear seats. (O’Neill, 2006)
Although air bags are of great benefits to many people on road use, there are several risky incidents to both adults and children’s especial when precaution on its use are ignored. The air bags are therefore a major cause of death to people with large number of injuries occurring to our beloved youngsters and those at the edge of the teenage stage. This is not reflected as one of the negative impulse in the use of it by the drivers.
It is because for many years, drivers have gotten refuge through it. This possibly is the reason they keep much silence when the publics cry for better smart air bags. With the improvement of the air bags, they has not satisfied the needs for many children, thus appropriate safety seats are necessary for the prevention of children ejection from vehicle. This means that he airbags alone are not effective in bringing down the number of injuries and accidents on road users. The fact that they can cause many severe injuries and even deplete off a person’s life makes the system unsafe in certain circumstance for children. It is therefore my plea to the government to ensure the search is carried on to come up with an advance technology that will provide suitable devices to younger one.( Ferguson, 2004).
Reference
Arbelaez, R. (2001): Difficulties in determining the cause of real-world crash injuries: Harvard university press.
Braver, E. (2005): Driver mortality in frontal crashes: comparison of newer and older airbag designs: oxford press.
Cammisa, M. (2000): Driver fatalities in frontal crashes of airbag-equipped vehicles: Yales.
Ferguson, S. (2004): Real-world performance of newer restraint systems in frontal crashes in the United States. Germany press.
O’Neill, B. (2006): Airbags — yesterday, today, and tomorrow.
Williams, A. (1996): Survey of parents of infants about rear facing child restraints. Arlington.
Morris, C. (1998): Measuring airbag injury risk to out-of-position occupants. Washington.
Werner, J (1997): Injury risks in cars with different air bag deployment rates: Warrendale.
Zuby, D. (1999): Testing of passenger airbags with 12-month-old infant to assess injury risk to restrained infants: Arlington.