AUTO SAFETY: COLEMAN TO ACT ON CONTROVERSIAL AIR BAG ISSUE

The automobile industry's unwillingness to put passive restraint systems into all their cars, safety standards making air bags coupled with the retaining lap belt standard equipment on all new cars, and the alternatives regarding this issue which face the Transportation Secretary are discussed. Auto manufacturers who want the secretary to allow them to provide only the active restraint system argue that with improved and more comfortable belts, usage will increase. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) however estimates that voluntary usage will never exceed about 40 percent. The requirement that passive restraint systems be offered as options could lead to discouragingly high costs. It is noted that no statistically significant comparison between the effectiveness of air bags and that of belts can be drawn from the present limited experience. Comments are also made on the relation between automobile safety regulation and health welfare services, and insurance.

• Availability:
  • Find a library where document is available. Order URL: http://worldcat.org/issn/00368075
• Corporate Authors:

  American University

  Development Education and Training Research Institute
  Washington, DC  United States 
• Authors:
  • CARTER, L J
• Publication Date: 1976-9-24

Media Info

• Features: References;
• Pagination: p. 1219-22
• Serial:
  • Science
  • Volume: 193
  • Issue Number: 4259
  • Publisher: American Association for the Advancement of Science
  • ISSN: 0036-8075
  • Serial URL: http://science.sciencemag.org/

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Air bags; Automobile industry; Automobiles; Highway safety; Insurance; Manual safety belts; Restraint systems
• Uncontrolled Terms: Welfare
• Old TRIS Terms: Passenger restraints
• Subject Areas: Highways; Safety and Human Factors; Vehicles and Equipment;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00142988
• Record Type: Publication
• Files: TRIS
• Created Date: Dec 22 1976 12:00AM