There Is Broad Support for Air Bags, Despite Safety Concerns

Approximately every two years the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration conducts a national telephone survey to monitor the public's attitudes, knowledge, and self-reported behavior regarding occupant protection devices (safety belts, child restraints, air bags). The 2003 survey consisted of two questionnaires, each administered to a randomly selected sample of about 6,000 persons age 16 and older. This Traffic Tech briefly summarizes the findings concerning air bags. In 2003, 77% reported air bags in their primary vehicles, compared to 67% in late 2000. A driver and front seat passenger air bag were usually present, with some vehicles having air bags in other locations within the vehicle as well. About 87% of those surveyed said they would prefer to have air bags in their next vehicle, compared to 78% in 2000. Approximately 53% said they felt safer in motor vehicles with air bags than in motor vehicles without air bags. The overwhelming majority of the public (95%) knew that the presence of air bags does not substitute for safety belt use. Females (47%) were more likely to have concerns about the safety of air bags than were males (37%). The majority of the public believed that an adult sitting in the front seat would somewhat likely or very likely be injured by an air bag that deployed in a normal manner. Children were considered particularly vulnerable to injury from air bags.

• Record URL:
  http://www.nhtsa.dot.gov/staticfiles/DOT/NHTSA/Communication%20&%20Consumer%20Information/Traffic%20Tech%20Publications/Associated%20Files/TT297.pdf
• 
• Publication Date: 2005-6

Language

• English

Media Info

• Media Type: Print
• Features: Figures;
• Pagination: 2p
• Serial:
  • Traffic Tech - Technology Transfer Series
  • Issue Number: 297
  • Publisher: National Highway Traffic Safety Administration
• Publication flags:

  Open Access (libre)

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Air bags; Attitudes; Behavior; Children; Injuries; Knowledge; Public opinion; Seat belt use; Surveys; Vehicle safety
• Subject Areas: Highways; Safety and Human Factors; Society; Vehicles and Equipment; I91: Vehicle Design and Safety;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 01003476
• Record Type: Publication
• Report/Paper Numbers: HS-043 803
• Files: HSL, TRIS
• Created Date: Aug 31 2005 2:29PM