When airbags are deployed they can cause hearing loss in up to 17 percent of people, according to a study by auditory physiologist Dr. G. Richard Price. Price says airbags in the U.S. (where the study was conducted) are larger and louder than those in other countries, so the damage is likely to be higher here.
Keeping the windows rolled up decreases the likelihood of injury from the loud burst of sound when airbags inflate because the air pressure inside the car stiffens the parts of the ear that could be affected. Price says redesigning equipment could mitigate some of the hearing loss.
I hadn't heard of this before (and a news search revealed no other citations), but the National Highway Transportation Association should look into it. Airbags save thousands of lives each year, but we should manufacture them to be as safe to all parts of the body as possible.
