Re: Bags and belts

[philby@ix.netcom.com (Phil Coppin)]

After the recent bags and belts discussion (general safety stuff and 
all that), I wondered why Eurobags deployed at lower speeds than U.S. 
bags. After reading several articles in the motoring press and watching 
a program on TV the other night, it appears that my view that U.S. bags 
(or Supplemental Restrain Systems) were designed to be deployed at a 
higher speed because of the high percentage of non seatbelt use in the 
U.S has been confirmed! 
If this is true then obviously they cannot be viewed as a true 
"supplemental" system as they were designed for those non-seatbelt 
users. Evidently the Feds haven't the guts to mandate seat belt usage 
for automobile users, just mandating automobile manufacturers to fit 
them to all the vehicles! Until this happens this stupid debate will 
keep going ad infinitum, you know, lower the speed, lower the 
effectiveness for the uninformed who choose not to use belts. Keep the 
higher speed, give friction burns to little old ladies and those that 
sit with their chin on the wheel. SRS works in Europe because seat belt 
wearing is mandatory in virtually all European countries and  bag 
deployment speeds were reduced to a safer levels as they were an SRS in 
the truest sense of the word. I have not seen any bad press on airbags 
in any of the European publications. However, you will see plenty of it 
here in the U.S....


Phil C.
96 A4q2.8 slushbox (its the wifes but I love it)
88 Supra Turbo 5spd w.mods (300+hp)