New airbag regs

["Shaun D. Mullen" <smullen@philly.infi.net>]

The U.S. NTSB is announcing today that motorists who qualify will be
allowed to install on/off airbag switches.  Paradoxically, the new regs
will take effect at the same time the NTSB begins a major campaign to
urge motorists to not use the switches because, in their view, the
benefits of airbags far outweigh the dangers.
 
The U-turn in policy was prompted because of a tacit acknowledgement
that current airbag regs fundamentally effect different people
differently.  Those eligible for the switches include drivers who must
carry children in the front seat because their truck or car lacks a back
seat, children who pediatricians say must be kept within sight of the
driver for medical reasons, adults with special health problems and
drivers who cannot sit with their chests 10 inches or more from the
steering wheel.  Vehicle owners wanting the switches must obtain a
permit and sign a legally-binding waiver that, in effect, allows the
gov't to take them to court if it turns out they lied about their
eligibility.  The new regs take effect 12/18.  The switches are expected
to cost between $150-$200 and include a display light that indicates
when the bag is disabled.

Altho common sense and experience in Europe dictates that children ride
in rear seats, only one state (Rhode Island) has passed a law mandating
that.

In a related development, a U.S. organization called Parents for Safer
Airbags urged the NTSB to release a list of car makes in which no one
has been killed or seriously injured because of "superior" airbag
design.  Among those makes listed by the organization's leader are BMW,
Honda, Mercedes and Saab.

Shaun Mullen
West Grove, PA, USA