Breakthroughs in technology continue to make driving a much safer pursuit. Devices once considered a premium option on cars, such as traction control, anti-lock brakes and airbags, are making their way into virtually every segment of the vehicle market. While each of these devices continues to be retooled for better application, the airbag is in a seemingly constant evolutionary state, popping up, literally, in a multitude of locations. With automakers immersed in a new round of mandated governmental compliance standards, CCC has been supplying data directly related to the process.

Airbags Take Flight
The idea of an airbag as a safety device can be traced back to the US military, which had applied for a patent with the notion of fitting them in WWII airplanes.1 While logistics hampered any practical way to make them work at that point, the idea was hatched and the auto industry went to work.

The later advent of portable and stable propellants allowed inflation of the device in 1/25th of a second, making the airbag a possibility.2 This evolutionary chain of events set in motion another set of concerns, however; one that raised questions about the suddenness and extent to which the airbag was inflated. Airbags deployed the same way for a 4'10",100 lb. driver sitting closer to the steering wheel as it did for a 6'3", 200 lb. passenger sitting at a more safe distance. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) research indicates that some of the earlier generations of airbags have been linked to injuries and, in extreme cases, death when occupants were unbuckled or out of position (being 10 inches or closer to the wheel) at the point of impact.3

Building a Better Wheel
Enter the advanced frontal airbag, a device that, through the use of additional sensors, is designed to incorporate occupant variables such as: the size and weight of the occupant; the driver¹s position in relation to the steering wheel, and; whether the seatbelt is engaged. The system takes these factors into account and adjusts its inflation.

According to the Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard No. 208, 20 percent of each automaker¹s new vehicles (with a gross weight rating of 8,500 lbs. or less and an unloaded vehicle weight of 5,500 lbs. or less) manufactured on or after September 1, 2003 had to have advanced frontal airbags. That number is being increased to 65 percent by September 1 of this year, and will be 100 percent by September 1, 2005.*

As advanced airbags began appearing in a limited number of autos, the Automobile Manufacturers Association (AMA) last year wanted to take a look at its successes and any potential failures. The AMA appointed a ³Blue Ribbon² panel of experts to lead the charge, chaired by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, to review the systems and see if the bags were working as planned. Their research was shared with NHTSA, who would work with automakers.

Providing a Solution
In order for the panel to achieve the objective, however, a substantial amount of data was needed in a short amount of time. One of the panel members, Nationwide Insurance¹s Vice President of Safety, Tim Hoyt, knew that data was available through CCC. While the standard approach of analyzing biomechanical testing (crash-tests with dummies) remains a valuable tool, it is hard to replicate events occurring in real-world situations.

"We needed a quick, early look (at the data)," said Hoyt. "We wanted to know, 'Are these systems doing a good job?' 'Are there things that may need to be modified?' The only way we could find those answers was to have access to a large amount of data. That¹s when we turned to CCC." Hoyt and Nationwide representatives searched for information.

First, they asked CCC to narrow down Nationwide's 4,500 claims which have passed through CCC's EZNet® communications network, using established criteria. After passing through multiple filters, that list was winnowed down to 55 claims involving accidents in which an advanced airbag system was deployed. "We worked with CCC to make sure we were giving NHTSA the information they were wanting," said Hoyt. "The ability to have that dialogue is very helpful. We know what we and NHTSA were looking for, and CCC was able to provide information leading to an effective outcome."

Once the data was captured, the Blue Ribbon Panel and NHTSA would analyze the information. If reports were to show that occupants were injured, NHTSA's Special Crash Investigations Program would select crashes of interest to perform detailed research into the performance of the occupant protection systems.

Chip Chidester, chief of the Crash Investigations Division and the Special Crash Investigations Team at NHTSA, spends a substantial amount of his time gathering data for research and development of safer motor vehicles. Discussing NHTSA and the automaker¹s quest for improvement, Chidester said that airbags have been in metamorphosis since they were introduced. "NHTSA sets performance standards for safety that the manufacturers have to meet. How the performance standard is achieved is up to the individual automobile manufacturers."

With NHTSA supplying the target of safer systems, the data must speak to each manufacturer¹s ability to reach that target, commonly achieved through a combination of systems such as adjustable seatbelt tensioners, seat position and driver weight sensors. This is where the data from Nationwide has proven to be a very valuable notification source, according to Chidester.

"With more crash data, the researchers involved in the performance of occupant protection systems can make more informed decisions. The notifications supplied by Nationwide leads to the detailed crash research data that provide the basis for scientific research decisions," said Chidester. "Everyone benefits, especially the driving public, from safer occupant protection systems in their family vehicles. After all, when it really comes down to it, our families are the ones who drive and ride in these vehicles."

The qualitative success shows: According to the most recent NHTSA data, there has not been a single fatality related to the deployment of a certified advanced airbag-equipped motor vehicle since the device¹s inception. This can only be viewed as a success. In a statement that may seem counterintuitive, Chidester said he wants to find another way to spend his days. "The ultimate goal, for me, is that I want to be able to put myself out of a job: no crashes, no fatalities, no injuries."

New Path of Communication
Hoyt said Nationwide wants to remain actively engaged in programs that help reduce the frequency and severity of injuries. "I don¹t ever recall a program such as this, where representatives from all areas in the industry have worked to address a problem, really before it even existed. It¹s a great way of thinking," said Hoyt.

With data being the driving factor behind the improvement of safety systems, both Hoyt and Chidester would like to see the data grow. "I sincerely hope that this sets a trend for working on future projects, and I would love it if other insurance companies would sign on to something similar (to the panel¹s work)," concluded Hoyt.

*Note: Advanced frontal airbags are not the same as "de-powered" airbags (bags that have had the inflation pressure manually decreased), dual-stage or multi-stage airbags.

FOOTNOTES

1. "The Engineering of Automotive Airbags," Jesse Patterson, Jr., Illumin Magazine, issue II, vol. 5.
2. "Airbag Safety," Scott Memmer, Edmunds.com, 11/13/2000.
3. NHTSA advanced airbag material, www.nhtsa.dot.gov/airbags.

About NHTSA
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), under the US Department of Transportation, is responsible for reducing deaths, injuries and economic losses resulting from motor vehicle crashes.

About Nationwide Nationwide is one of the largest insurance and financial services companies in the world, with more than $148 billion in statutory assets. Nationwide consists of three core businesses: domestic property and casualty insurance, life insurance and retirement savings and asset management.

Karoline Obora is the director of insurance market research at CCC Information Services Inc.