AN airbag could have been partly responsible for the death of a motorist in the second such case in less than a month. Company car drivers were alerted to the dangers of sitting too close to the steering wheel in vehicles fitted with airbags following the death of Jennifer Reichardt, who died when her Rover 400 was in collision with another car at low speed.

The force of the airbag hitting her as it was still expanding is believed to have contributed to her death, an inquest heard last month, and now another inquest has heard that a similar scenario could have happened to Christella Sergi, whose car left the road and hit a tree at about 20mph.

Wirral coroner Christopher Johnson is to repeat action taken by coroner Christopher Sumner, in sending details of the accident to the Department of the Environment, Transport and Regions, calling for an inquiry into airbag safety.