Estimated Fatality Reduction (%) By Air Bags in Frontals Belted Occupants Unbelted Occupants In 12 o’clock impacts Drivers 25 33 RF passengers age 13+ 28 36 In 11 and 1 o’clock impacts Drivers 13 17 RF passengers age 13+ 15 19 The combined effect of seat belt use and air bags is quite large. Relative to an unrestrained occupant in a seat position not equipped with air bags, the estimated combined fatality reduction for seat belts and air bags is at least 48 percent, for LTV drivers in 11 and 1 o’clock impacts with other vehicles,4 and ranges as high as 74 percent for LTV passengers in single-vehicle 12 o’clock impacts.5 Overall, the average fatality reduction by seat belt use in all frontal crashes – given the CY 2005 mix of cars and LTVs, and single- and multivehicle crashes – is 50 percent, relative to an unrestrained occupant. This average effectiveness can change slightly from year to year as, for example, the proportion of vehicles on the road that are LTVs (where belts are more effective) increases. Fatality reduction by air bags averaged 25 percent in all frontal crashes – given the calendar year 2005 mix of belted and unbelted occupants, drivers and passengers, and 11, 12, and 1 o’clock impacts. This average, too, changes slightly from year to year, for example, as belt use increases (because the average effectiveness of air bags is slightly lower for a belted occupant, 22%, than for an unbelted occupant, 28%). Overall, the average combined fatality reduction for seat belt use and air bags in all frontal crashes – given the calendar year 2005 mix of occupants, vehicles and crashes – is 61 percent, relative to an unrestrained occupant without an air bag.6 In other words, for every 100 frontal fatalities that would have occurred to unbelted occupants in vehicles without air bags, 39 would still be expected to happen even if these occupants had buckled up and the vehicles had been equipped with air bags. Incidentally, the statistical estimate that air bags are only about half as effective in what FARS calls 11 and 1 o’clock impacts as in 12 o’clock impacts presages two important findings of this study, namely, that many of the fatalities still occurring are corner impacts and/or oblique impacts. The FARS IMPACT2 variable is based on damage location rather than direction of force, and it does not involve precise, uniform measurement criteria. It is fair to say, though, that corner impacts are most likely to be classified 11 or 1 o’clock, and not 12 o’clock. (However, there are many other 11 and 1 o’clock impacts on FARS that CDS would not call “corner” impacts but just offset impacts.) Even though IMPACT2 is not strictly a direction of force, many