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Would you wear protective headgear in a car? A new study says a lightweight
padded headband could reduce head injuries to car drivers and passengers by 25
per cent, according to an analysis of 117 road accident victims in Adelaide. The
study, by the Federal Office of Road Safety, found that protective headgear is
as effective as airbags in preventing head injuries and would offer more
protection to the head than a car with interior padding, side-impact airbags and
seat belts combined. About 44 per cent of the head injuries the researchers
analysed occurred in a strip stretching from the forehead to the ears. A
headband made of shock-absorbing foam and about 2.5 centimetres thick has been
designed by researchers at the University of Adelaide for possible commercial
development.