Air Bag On-Off Switches Not Needed In Most Cases, GHSP Director Says
16 January 1998
Air Bag On-Off Switches Not Needed In Most Cases, GHSP Director Says
NHTSA Ruling Allows Installation of Air Bag On-Off Controls Starting Monday
RALEIGH, N.C., Jan. 16 -- Few people should get an air bag
on-off switch installed in their vehicle, according to Joe Parker, director of
the North Carolina Governor's Highway Safety Program.
"Should people get an air bag switch? In most cases the answer is 'no,'"
Parker said. "Turning off an air big almost never makes any sense. Air bags
have saved more than 2,600 lives and prevented thousands of injuries. But in
the few cases where it is needed, a switch is a practical way to turn the
device off for someone who is at risk and then turn it back on to keep the
lifesaving benefits for others."
Beginning Monday, Jan. 19, the National Highway Traffic Safety
Administration (NHTSA) will permit repair shops and automobile dealers to
install key-operated, on-off air bag switches for vehicle owners who properly
complete a form stating they have read an informational brochure and are among
a small number of people in four specific categories who are potentially at
risk of air bag injury. Dealers and repair shops cannot perform this work
without an authorization letter from NHTSA.
"We are pleased that NHTSA has made an on-off process available for the
very few members of the motoring public for whom the risks from air bags
outweigh the benefits," said Robert J. Glaser, North Carolina Automobile
Dealers Association (NCADA) Executive Vice President.
Glaser said every dealer in North Carolina should have received a packet
from the government and the National Automobile Dealers Association (NADA) to
assist their customers with the process. The NCADA, an association of 700 new
car and truck dealers across North Carolina, has also advised its dealer
members as to the procedures that must be undertaken for the on-off switch to
be installed.
"We have been working closely with the NADA over the past month to ensure
that North Carolina's franchised dealers are well informed about the new
rule," Glaser said.
So far, only 4,855 motorists from across the United States have filled out
the paperwork to get an air bag switch, according to NHTSA. The number of
requests from North Carolina were not available from the agency.
"The low national number means that most people are using common sense
when it comes to requesting air bag switches," GHSP's Parker said. He added
most motorists can virtually eliminate any risk from air bag deployments by
simply buckling up and positioning themselves correctly.
"Air bags are designed to work in conjunction with seat belts," Parker
said. "If belts were medicine, they'd be considered a wonder drug."
Parker said motorists should follow basic safety rules to minimize air bag
risk:
* Always buckle your seat belt. Remember, it's "Click It or Ticket."
* Stay back from the air bag. Keep at least 10 inches between your
breastbone and the air bag.
* Never place a rear-facing infant seat in front of an air bag.
* Place children in the back seat and make sure they are properly
restrained, either in a seat belt or a child safety seat appropriate for
their size and weight. North Carolina motorists with questions about
seat belt and child passenger safety issues can call toll-free
1-800-672-4527.
To obtain a switch, NHTSA has established a four-step process. First,
consumers must obtain a NHTSA informational brochure and a request form, both
of which are available from NHTSA, at vehicle dealerships, repair shops and
other locations. The brochure, form and additional information are available
from NHTSA's web site: http://www.nhtsa.dot.gov. Click on the air bag icon.
Second, consumers must fill out the request form and send it to NHTSA.
Vehicle owners must certify on the form that they have read the informational
brochure and fit one of the four profiles of people at risk.
The four eligibility profiles are:
* Those who cannot avoid placing rear-facing infant seats in the front
passenger seat.
* Those who have a medical condition that places them at specific risk.
* Those who cannot adjust the driver's position to keep back approximately
10 inches from the steering wheel.
* Those who cannot avoid situations -- such as a car pool -- that require
a child age 12 or under to ride in the front seat.
Third, after the form is sent to NHTSA the agency will send an
authorization letter to the vehicle owner.
Finally, the vehicle owner takes the letter to a dealership or other
service outlet and purchases the on-off switch. Installation may cost between
$100 and $200.
Consumers who have questions or concerns about air bags can contact
NHTSA's toll-free Auto-Safety Hotline at 1-800-424-9393.
For an online version of recent news releases and highway safety
information from the GHSP, visit our web site at
http://www.dot.state.nc.us/services/ghsp.
SOURCE Governor's Highway Safety Program
