Originally Posted by Kestas

Tough call..... detached retina, ruptured cornea - versus - hyperextended neck. This additional information on air bag injury is welcome, though.

I can verify (through the automotive engineering journals) that neck injury is a real concern with restraint designs that have lap & shoulder belts but no air bag, such as cars from the 70s and 80s. Americans design air bags with powerful deployment to protect unbelted drivers. Europeans essentially design their cars with what is called a "face bag", fully expecting the driver to be restrained by belts.

If I may rant on a related subject..... head rests on American cars are useless! I'm tall, and when I tilt my head back with the head rest full up, I look straight up at the ceiling.... very little protection against whiplash! My MB gives full protection. Whatever happened to NHTSA requirements to protect people against whiplash?