Study: Airbags, Antilock Brakes Not Likely to Reduce Accidents, Injuries.

AScribe Health News Service, September, 2006

Byline: Purdue University

WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind., Sept. 27 (AScribe Newswire) -- Researchers have determined that airbags and antilock braking systems do not reduce the likelihood of accidents or injuries because they may encourage more aggressive driving, thwarting the potential benefits of such safety features.

The behavior responsible for this seeming paradox is called the offset hypotheses, which predicts that consumers adapt to innovations meant to improve safety by becoming less vigilant about safety, said Fred Mannering, a professor of civil engineering at Purdue University.

"When antilock brakes were first introduced, insurance companies noticed that the accident rates for those cars increased," he said. "We decided to see whether the...

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