It has often been said that airbags save lives. Unfortunately, some people learn this lesson first hand. My brother was recently involved in an accident that almost cost him his life. The EMS told him that wearing his seat belt, and the airbag deploying, were the only two things that saved him.
As you can see from the picture, the drivers front side of the car was totaled. They had to saw the door off, and even then it took a while to get him out. The airbag did knock him unconscious for an undetermined length of time, but other than that he only had minor scrapes and bruises.
He was only going around 45 miles an hour when the accident occurred, and the other car was coming from the turning lane so probably not going at a very high rate of speed either. Still, an enormous amount of damage was done. If the airbag had not deployed the windshield and other debris would have hit my brother head on causing who knows what kind of damage. It just goes to show that airbags save lives in many different types of accidents.
Always wear your seat belt and make sure your airbag is functioning properly. Make sure your children and spouse do the same. It is always better to be safe than sorry!