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To the Editor.— We read with interest the article on cost-effectiveness of air bags by Dr Graham and colleagues,¹ since we conducted a similar, societal-perspective, cost-effectiveness analysis using the latest Fatal Accident Reporting System and National Accident Sampling System Crashworthiness Data System data last year.²

Our work focused on the relative contribution of air bags on the driver's side; but using the human-capital cost method advocated by Miller,³ we found the marginal cost-effectiveness of adding driver-side air bags to belts to be $1.5 million per life saved, $51000 per additional quality-adjusted life year (QALY) saved, and $22435 per additional injury averted.

We used industry-based cost estimates⁴ that were lower for seat belts and higher for installed air bags than those used in the study by Graham et al. Air bag component and installation costs vary, but are generally higher than the $278 estimate used by Graham et al (who did . . . [Full Text of this Article]

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RELATED ARTICLE

The Cost-effectiveness of Air Bags by Seating Position
John D. Graham, Kimberly M. Thompson, Sue J. Goldie, Maria Segui-Gomez, and Milton C. Weinstein
JAMA. 1997;278(17):1418-1425.
ABSTRACT