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Air bag on or off? Now some can choose
January 19, 1998
On-off passenger air bag switch
Web posted at: 1:24 p.m. EDT (1324 GMT)In this story:
(CNN) -- It's now legal to turn off automobile air bags, assuming the government has approved. Beginning Monday, car dealers and independent mechanics are authorized to install an on-off switch for the safety device which, in some cases, has proven unsafe.
About 5,000 people already have the green light to disable their air bags and nearly 2,000 more are waiting to have their applications processed by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.
Drivers who say they sit too close to the steering wheel, where air bags deploy, account for the majority of people seeking permission for an air bag switch.
An air bag deploys with enough force to kill an infant or a small adult The government recommends that shorter drivers keep at least 10 inches between themselves and the wheel hub, by adjusting their seats backward, so the air bag can deploy safely.
General Motors and Ford are offering the switches, which are retrofitted for autos already on the road, through their dealerships. Other major automakers, such as Toyota, Honda and Chrysler, say they will have them later this year.
So far, the requests have not reached the huge numbers initially feared by automakers, who lobbied for restrictions on who could apply.
Why drivers want on-off option
Of those approved for the switches, government records show that:
- 57 percent want driver-side switches.
- 19 percent want passenger-side switches.
- 24 percent want both driver and passenger switches.
The majority of those seeking driver-side switches -- about 79 percent -- cite an inability to sit far enough away from an air bag as the reason. About 21 percent cite medical reasons.
Most of the car owners who want a passenger-side switch said they must transport a child in the front seat. More than a third gave medical reasons.
Safety experts say rear-facing infant seats should never be placed close to an air bag.
How to qualify
To apply for a cutoff switch, car owners must be unable to sit 10 inches from the steering wheel or have a medical condition. Those forced to put a young child in the front seat, because of a large family, lack of room or carpooling, also can apply.
However, for most drivers, "it does not make sense to deactivate the air bag," says Chuck Hurley of the National Safety Council. "It does make sense to buckle everyone, including children 12 and under, in the back (seat)."
Dealerships and mechanics at independent garages have the right to refuse to install the switches if they fear liability.
"Ultimately, it will be up to each dealer to decide" what to do, said Doug Greenhaus, director of safety in the National Automobile Dealers Association's legal office. But he predicts the paperwork consumers must fill out should protect dealers against liability and make them less likely to say no.
Air bags have saved more than 2,600 lives, according to government estimates. But the deploying devices also have been blamed for 89 deaths since 1991, including 50 children. In most cases, the passengers were not wearing seat belts.
Related stories:
- Insurers want names of drivers who disconnect air bags - January 7, 1998
- Government announces rules for air bag switches - November 18, 1997
- Government to unveil rules for air bag cutoff switches - November 18, 1997
- Safety board to let some turn off air bags - October 1, 1997
Related sites:
Note: Pages will open in a new browser window
- National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA)
- National Safety Council
- National Automobile Dealers Association
- Insurance Institute for Highway Safety
- Additional "Wheels" links
External sites are not endorsed by CNN Interactive.
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