According to a report by G. Richard Price, an auditory physiologist and
consultant to Auditory Hazard Analysis, the explosive propellant used in
automotive airbags may cause hearing loss during a crash.
Using an auditory assessment algorithm, Price told attendees at a
National Hearing Conservation Association’s conference last month in
Savannah, Georgia, that 17 percent of occupants exposed to airbag
deployments could suffer permanent hearing loss.