An airbag can save your life in a car crash?but it can also cause you to go deaf.
Researchers estimate that 17% percent of the people who are exposed to deployed airbags in American cars will suffer from permanent hearing loss, and airbag deployment is more hazardous to the ears when a car’s windows are rolled down.
Dr. G. Richard Price wanted to find out whether the danger of deafness was greater in cars with the windows down or the windows up. Previously, experts thought rolled-up windows were more dangerous because they allow for higher pressure to be created inside the cabin.
However, Price’s research shows that having car windows rolled up when airbags are deployed is actually less hazardous to the ear than rolled-down windows, because the higher pressure generated in the closed cabin actually prevents greater damage to the ear.
Most of us drive with the windows rolled up because we are using either heat or air conditioning. Also, few people feel comfortable driving on the highway with their windows rolled down, so this is good news.
Art credit: freeimages.co.uk
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