On the mind of many drivers and passengers these days is whether to invest in airbag switches in order to increase occupant safety. Given that airbags are designed to protect vehicle occupants in the event of a crash, the concept of turning them off seems illogical. But, a growing number of vehicle owners and safety watchdogs point to established evidence that the protective attributes of airbag deployment are very conditional and easily lost.
For some owners, it is the passenger airbag that poses the greatest danger. Upon deployment, passengers and any item in close proximity to the dash can be indiscriminately hurled throughout a vehicle interior with explosive force and speed. Passenger airbags are much larger than driver airbags and thus pack far more combustible material. Even the new generation airbag modules deploy at 160 mph with over 1500 lbs. of force. The driver air bag poses a special threat to those drivers who are seated to close to the air bag (less than 10 inches) as well as those with medical conditions that would be complicated severely by a deployment.
An Ounce of Prevention
Although statistics on occupant injuries from airbag deployments are sketchy, vehicle owners are beginning to view the situation with concern. As stewards of their occupants' safety, as well as their own, there is real worry that serious injury or even death can occur. Such an incident, in hindsight, would be construed as a tragedy because of its preventable nature.
NHTSA and Airbag Switches
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHSTA) mandated airbag On/Off switches early in 1998 as the best method to deactivate airbag modules. Prior to that, the only federally approved deactivation procedure was to unplug an airbag from its wiring harness.
Problems arose from permanent airbag disconnections, though. For one thing, reactivation could not be accomplished quickly. A switch, on the other hand, allows occupants immediate choice.
Another disadvantage to simply unplugging an airbag is that a fault is electronically detected by the vehicle's diagnostic monitor. Not only will this condition illuminate the airbag warning light at the instrument cluster, but also under certain circumstances, the entire airbag system can be rendered inoperative.
NHTSA's specifications for airbag switches is outlined in 49CFR Parts 571 and 595. Under this federal guideline a switch must be key activated, be clearly marked, illuminate a YELLOW light in the OFF position, and not cause the airbag warning light to illuminate. Additionally, there is a brief section on switch installation requirements, which mainly states that an airbag ON/OFF switch should be mounted within view of the front seat occupants.
Switch Availability
Even though NHTSA exempted airbag switches from previous safety rules and regulations which forbid anyone from rendering a safety system inoperable, most car dealers and manufacturers continue to avoid the issue as much as possible. Car dealerships fear the liability exposure that might arise from a crash death in a vehicle with an airbag switch. While this scenario is largely unfounded according to NHTSA, it is the anxiety of the unknown that continues to impede switch availability.
Although only a few foreign car makers have built airbag switches, several American companies have responded to the growing demand. Ford, General Motors, and Chrysler have developed aftermarket switch kits for many of their models. Unfortunately, not all makes and models of cars and trucks are slated for switch kits, and even for those are, the supply is inadequate. In many cases, switch buyers wait months for their part, only to be informed later that their switch is not available.
To date, only one aftermarket manufacturer has elected to install and distribute airbag On/Off switches nationwide. AirBag Options, Inc of Fort Worth Texas, was one of the first switch designs approved for the NHTSA referral list. Unlike the car makers' offerings, however, this company has a switch kit available for every model vehicle ever built, foreign or domestic.
Economics Of Airbag Deployment
Anytime an airbag deploys, vehicle repair costs rise. Put simply, airbag repair is expensive, especially for the passenger side.
Many vehicle owners, after examining the repair expenditures from passenger airbag deployments, realize that substantial savings may be achieved through airbag switch use. The logical deduction here is that for a vehicle manned only by a driver, passenger airbag deployment would not only be a needless event --but, one that is unnecessarily costly.
To Switch Or Not To Switch
In deliberating the airbag switch issue, the pros and cons must be evaluated thoughtfully, so as not confuse cause with effect. A common criticism among switch opponents is that airbag switches can kill. Perhaps, those who promote this idea should rethink their premise. Obviously, it is crashes and airbags that kill -- not switches.
But, looking at the underlying intent of the death-by-switch supposition, it would be the misuse of a switch that poses a danger, not the switch itself. In other words, human error is what really lies at the root of the debate.
On the other side of the coin, proponents of airbag switches are quick to point out that it is precisely the human ability to reason that improves airbag safety through switching options. Their argument contends that because airbags increase occupant safety only under specific circumstances, drivers and passengers alike should be able to maximize their own safety by turning airbags ON when and only when they are needed. In this case, the central issue revolves around which "circumstances" and whether the benefits of switching outweighs the possibilities of human error.
Airbags And Statistics
Early statistical data showing the number of lives saved by airbags compared to deaths from airbags was very impressive and clearly depicted airbags as the greatest safety device ever created. Some NHTSA reports favored airbags 1000 to 1. It was later learned that these data figures were derived from computer models, not real world events.
As of this writing NHTSA warns that anyone who must sit with any part of their body within an airbag deployment zone is at risk. Those persons of small stature, infants, children under 13 years of age, and people with medical problems are at highest risk. NHTSA says that anyone can obtain permission for an ON/OFF switch installation. Permission from NHTSA is not required for vehicle owners who install the devices themselves. In truth, the NHTSA authorization form is not really an approval to own or use an airbag switch, but rather a waiver, granting a commercial installer permission to alter a safety system.
Switches Create Smart Airbag Systems
Car dealerships may balk at installing airbag switches, but vehicle manufacturers are scrambling to employ switches into their new airbag system designs. More and more vehicles are being offered with manual switches, and smart airbag systems arriving on the market sometime after the year 2000 will utilize several switching options. Indeed, the difference between an old airbag system and a smart airbag system is the ability to manually or automatically switch airbags ON or OFF based on occupant size, position, and force of impact.
Smart switching systems will automatically determine whether a person is properly seated in front of an airbag. Should the occupant be too small or temporarily out of position (leaning into a deployment zone), switches will react to turn the airbag OFF. Manufacturers are not divulging the smart functions determined from impact criteria, but it is reasonable to assume that switches will be used to reduce inadvertent deployment in minor or low speed collisions.
No information is available as to the ability of smart switches to detect dash-mounted equipment such as that found in law enforcement vehicles. At least for the next several years, vehicle owners will have to rely upon manually operated switches to increase occupant safety and reduce collision costs.
The full extent of airbag switch use is yet to be realized, but one thing is clear -- switches are here to stay.
