Re: Air bags (again) (marginal Audi content) (and Long!)

[MSV96@aol.com]

In a message dated 97-09-24 14:52:25 EDT, you write:

<< How about another (flip side) reality check? How many of these "killed by 
 airbags" would have died anyway? How many kids would have face-planted in 
 the windshield or dash, or had their neck snapped by an ill-fitting 
 seatbelt? >>

Hard to say...having had my face "face-planted" on the dash of a Chevy II in
1962 (when dashes were metal) in an accident that would have killed me had
the car been air bag equipped you haven't swayed my viewpoint (to allow them
to be switched off) at all though. When I saw (on the TV news) an 18 month
old child get killed in a 9 mph parking lot accident in a Jetta exactly the
same as my ex'es I was in tears knowing I survived a similar accident with no
seatbelt or airbag at 4 years old. I have no sympathy for parents of kids who
don't properly restrain their kids in a car so the arguement of the dash or
windshield doesn't work for me...as far as proper fitting seatbelts? Again,
parent's responsibility to ensure proper fit and use. OTOH, my heart pours
out to those parents of children who were killed by knee-jerk legislated
"safety devices" which were forced upon all of us. I have 3 children living
in my household...add one friend for a drive and if I had an airbag equipped
Audi, we couldn't take it (with one exception...the new q wagons which are
only available with slush boxes and are far too expensive for me to ponder
now anyway...sigh)...that was my mandatory Audi content BTW ;-)

Mike Veglia
87 5kcstq with no airbags but nomex donned for the airbag supporters ;-)