Re: Gov't on airbags

[ScharfR@aol.com]

In a message dated 96-11-25 14:39:45 EST, peterhe@microsoft.com (Peter
Henriksen) writes:

<< The European airbags are smaller and don't deploy as violently.
 They're designed to aid in restraining a belted person (i.e., somebody
 with a minimum of brains). >>

Not all European air bags are smaller.  In fact, for companies who do
business in the U.S. and Europe, few use different size bags on U.S. and
European cars.  Consider the redundant engineering - pretty wasteful.
 Volkswagen uses/used the small "Euro bags," but is convertng to the typical
U.S. sizes.  Audi always used the U.S. size air bags in all of its cars which
were equipped with bags.

The key difference is that nearly all European countries require and enforce
seat belt use.  Germany even requires children under 12 to riide in the rear
seats.  If you are involved in an accident and suffer injuries attributable
to not wearing your seatbelts, the insurance company can (and will) reduce
the benefits paid out.  Now if that isn't a violation of our civil liberties,
I don't know what is .....  We Americans wouldn't stand for such an
intrusion.