THE AIR BAGS ARE COMING BUT HOW EFFECTIVE ARE THEY? A CONGRESSIONAL REPORT RAISES MAJOR QUESTIONS

Safety implications of air bags, mandated by the Department of Transportation (DOT) for the 1981 model year, are addressed in excerpts from a 1979 report by the General Accounting Office (GAO). The regulation specifies restraints requiring no action by vehicle occupants to protect them from effects of a collision. This requirement could be fulfilled by devices such as automatic lap and shoulder belts introduced in the 1975 Volkswagen Rabbit. Because these devices are practical only in cars with bucket seats, the DOT requires air bags for automobiles with bench-type seats. It is estimated that air bags in all U.S. automobiles will save as many as 9000 lives per year. The requirement will be phased in gradually over a two-year period. Although the air bag is strongly favored by DOT, some large insurance companies, and certain consumer groups, it has been vehemently opposed. Safety and cost issues are paramount in the controversy. The GAO considers that data are lacking on real world crash conditions, especially on air bag performance in small cars, on the effect of air bags on out-of-position occupants, and on human tolerance to injuries. Additional research is recommended on the health and safety risks associated with sodium azide (the air bag inflation agent) including those of scrapping air bag equipped cars. Since laboratory crash tests were limited to full frontal impacts, and no comprehensive comparative testing was done between active lap/shoulder belts and each passive system, the GAO considers the passive restraint mandate to be based on insufficient data.

• Availability:
  • Find a library where document is available. Order URL: http://worldcat.org/issn/00952222
• Corporate Authors:

  Consumer's Research Incorporated

  517 Second Street NW
  Washington, DC  United States  20002
• Publication Date: 1980-5

Media Info

• Pagination: p. 15-23
• Serial:
  • Consumers' Research
  • Volume: 63
  • Issue Number: 5
  • Publisher: Consumer's Research Incorporated
  • ISSN: 0095-2222

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Air bags; Automatic seat belts; Automobiles; Cost effectiveness; Measures of effectiveness; Passive restraint systems; Safety
• Uncontrolled Terms: Effectiveness
• Old TRIS Terms: Automatic restraints
• Subject Areas: Safety and Human Factors;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00382537
• Record Type: Publication
• Source Agency: National Highway Traffic Safety Administration
• Report/Paper Numbers: HS-029 009
• Files: HSL, USDOT
• Created Date: Apr 30 1984 12:00AM