Photos-Injuries due to seatbelt or airbags

[Sta22BeaverCoPA]

I am looking for sites on the Internet with photos (not gruesome) of injuries caused by airbags and seatbelts. I want to use these in a presentation on new vehicles and what the medical personnel should be looking for or will see when the airbag deploys or pretensioner/seatbelt retracts and restrains the occupant. Any help would be greatly appreciated.

[Zmagrescue]

Let me try to describe this incedent as "PC" as possible. About 2 years ago on a ice covered road we ran a wreck involving a brand new Ford Expidition. At the time that was considered a "big" SUV. A local lady that we all know was the driver of the land yacht. She is bearly 5 foot tall and rather "endowed". The combination of her short legs and ample top half positioned her extremely close to the deploying airbag. The bag failed to fully deploy and many of the inner folds remained within the steering wheel canister. The heat of the spent canister melted the bag and had an open flame that was extinguished by a citizen with snow prior to our arrival. I still have the bag in my garage. Not really sure what if any pictures are available. Let me know if you would like a few digital shots of the melted airbag. Digital shots of the victim would be extra. Talking to her husband a few days later reported that she was a bit brused, and sore (no comment needed here). Wonder what could have happen had it not been a mid-day crash on an active road with a bystander nearby to extinguish the flame.

Zmag

[dragonfyre]

Try www.airbaginstitute.com

If they don't have anything you might find a link.

As an instructor who teaches a class on airbags to emergency personnel I can't see the sense in showing blood and gore to a class.

Most airbag injuries are minor burns to the wrists. If there are incidents like Zmag listed they are rare and not really the fault of the system. I find it highly unusual that the bag didn't deploy entirely. Even a good set of "DD's" are no match for the force of the deployment. She must have been within a foot of the steering wheel to even slow it down.

As far as what to tell your students about the seat belt and bags, remind them of the 3 crashes that occur during any incident:
1) the physical crash of the vehicle into an object.
2) the crash of the patient into the seat belt and/or airbag.
3) the crash of the patient's internal organs hitting the rib cage.

If you want to get a good video to show at your class, contact the American Coalition for Traffic Safety. I use it and it explains how and when the system works and shows the different type of bags in use. If you really want to it has an accident scenario that has some blood and gore.

[RyanEMVFD]

be careful on what pictures you show. showing pictures of patients without their permission can cause lots of trouble.

[Sta22BeaverCoPA]

Thank you for all your suggestions. I don't want bloody/gruesome pictures. I have seen pictures showing fractures of arms, wrists, fngers caused by airbags and chest injuries caused by seatbelts. Maybe I should change what I want. What has anyone seen of injuries caused by airbags and seatbelts ?

Thanks Again

[CollegeBuff]

The Brady EMT-Basic 9th Edition textbook has a good shot of a large contusion caused by a lapbelt.