Government announces rules for air bag switches

November 18, 1997
Web posted at: 11:56 a.m. EST (1656 GMT)

WASHINGTON (CNN) -- Emphasizing that safety is the government's top priority, the Transportation Department announced new guidelines Tuesday allowing some car owners to install air bag shutoff switches in their cars.

But only people in a few high-risk categories will be granted permission to have the switches installed. Transportation officials said that most of the deaths linked to air bag deployment could have been avoided if more Americans would buckle up.

Calling the new rules a "practical solution" to the air bag debate, Transportation Secretary Rodney Slater said that his department made its judgment "in the public's interest."

He said it is up to the public to be informed, to read the air bag safety brochures the National Highway Transportation Safety Association has published and to know the risks of turning the safety devices off.

"We have made an informed decision," Slater said. "Now it is time for the public to make theirs."

Air bag modifications under way

Air bags have saved an estimated 2,600 lives. Sometimes, however, they can be deadly. More than 80 children and adults have died from the force of deploying air bags.

Acknowledging public outcry over the deaths, the government has already tried to lessen air bag dangers by giving automakers permission to make the bags deploy up to 35 percent less forcefully.

"Smart" air bags are in development and could be on the market within the next several years. They would be designed to modify the speed of deployment in an accident according to the car's speed, the angle of impact and the occupant's size.

Who qualifies for the cutoff switch

Washington-based auto safety advocates and government officials say car owners will likely qualify to have air bag switches installed if they fall into one or more of the following categories:

• If they must put children in every seat because they have a large family or participate in a carpool. Officials recommend that all children under age 13 sit in the back seat, but recognize that it isn't always possible.

• If they are too small to sit a safe distance from the air bag and still reach the brake and gas pedals. Agency officials recommend that people sit at least 10 inches away from the air bag module. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration's Ricardo Martinez said even a 4'8" woman can usually find a way to move back to a safe distance.
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• If they must put a rear-facing infant seat in the front seat because the car has no back seat.

• If an adult or child in the family has a medical problem that could be aggravated by the air bag's deployment, or if a child in the family has a medical problem that must be closely monitored.

Goes into effect in December

Officials say the rule will go into effect December 18 and that the shutoff switches will be available by January 19, 1998.

People who want the switches installed must seek permission from the NHTSA, then submit the form granting them approval to their mechanic. Motorists who fail to fill out the paperwork honestly could be prosecuted for perjury.

Manufacturers are not required to make the switches available, although officials expect that most will. The switches are expected to cost between $150 and $200. Certified mechanics or car dealerships would perform the work.

NHTSA had initially proposed allowing drivers to disconnect their air bags permanently if they felt unsafe, but backed away from that idea after automakers and safety groups protested.

However, the government would continue to allow for the disconnection of an air bag by a mechanic, as it does now in select cases. That option is subject to stricter requirements and would not be available to carpooling adults.

Transportation officials repeatedly stressed the importance of using seat belts throughout their Tuesday news conference. "Today one in three Americans just don't get it" and fail to wear their seat belts, Slater said. Many also fail to seat their children in the back seat.
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Other countries with identical air bag systems have seen fewer deaths from the devices because in those countries, "children are almost always securely buckled and sitting in the back," Martinez said.

"If we are to make true progress in saving lives," Martinez continued, "we must make more efforts to raise seatbelt use to the administration's national goal of 85 percent by the year 2000."

Related story:

• Government to unveil rules for air bag cutoff switches - November 18, 1997

Related sites:

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• Insurance Institute for Highway Safety
  • Airbag safety
• National Highway Traffic Safety Administration
  • Air Bag information
• Additional "Wheels" links

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