REVIEWING AN AUTOMOBILE SAFETY STANDARD: A UNIQUE SERVICE TO THE CONGRESS (GENERAL ACCOUNTING OFFICE REVIEW OF PASSIVE RESTRAINTS)

Background is presented on passive restraints (air bags and automatic lap/shoulder belts) and the revision of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard 208 (Occupant Crash Protection) to require the installation of passive restraints in all new cars by 1984, beginning with large cars in 1982. The mandate, issued on 30 Jun 1977, was later approved by Congress. The case for passive restraints (the life-saving potential) and the case against (limited test and field data) are presented. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) estimated that full implementation of passive restraints would save 9000 lives and prevent 65,000 injuries annually and that the associated cost ($200 per car) would be more than offset by insurance premium discounts. NHTSA also said that sodium azide, the chemical propellant used in air bags, could be used safely in the industrial and automotive environments, and that the scrappage problem associated with uninflated bags could be resolved. On the other hand, the estimated safety benefits are uncertain due to a lack of test data on air bags in small cars, limited actual field experience with air bags, and recent auto industry tests indicating a possible out-of-position occupant problem with air bags. According to recent industry figures, air bags could cost considerably more than NHTSA estimates, and the ultimate effect of these devices on insurance rates is uncertain. The exposure of occupants to unburned sodium azide in air bag deployment and the chemical's mutagenicity and/or carcinogenicity to humans must be evaluated. The General Accounting Office's (GAO) independent, in-depth review of passive restraints and Congressional response are cited. GAO recommended that NHTSA establish a program to evaluate real-world data and modify the safety standard as warranted.

• Corporate Authors:

  U.S. General Accounting Office

  441 G Street, NW
  Washington, DC  United States  20548
• Authors:
  • Subalusky, F V
• Publication Date: 1980

Media Info

• Features: References;
• Pagination: p. 42-47
• Serial:
  • GAO Review
  • Publisher: U.S. General Accounting Office

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Air bags; Automobiles; Benefit cost analysis; Evaluation; Manual safety belts; Passive restraint systems; Shoulder harnesses; Standards; Vehicle safety
• Old TRIS Terms: Shoulder harness; Sodium azide; Vehicular safety
• Subject Areas: Safety and Human Factors;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00369255
• Record Type: Publication
• Source Agency: National Highway Traffic Safety Administration
• Report/Paper Numbers: HS-031 061
• Files: HSL, USDOT
• Created Date: Dec 30 1982 12:00AM