Yes, both children and adults face the risk of air bag injury or death if they are positioned too close to the air bag or fail to use proper restraints. As of November 1, 1997, NHTSA has confirmed that 49 young children have died, all on the passenger side. 38 adults have died — 35 drivers and 3 passengers. Read More »
Safety
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- Flood Information
Head Restraint Designs Differ in Effectiveness
The head restraints in about a third of all 1999 passenger vehicles are poorly designed. Only 1 in 20 of the 1999 cars, pickups, and utility vehicles earns a good rating for head restraint design. Disappointing as these findings are, they represent an improvement since 1997 models were evaluated. Then more than half of all passenger vehicles were equipped with ... Read More »
What are the Specific Circumstances of the Children’s Deaths Caused by Airbags?
Almost all of the 49 children who died were improperly restrained or positioned. 12 were infants under age 1 who were riding in rear-facing infant seats in front of the passenger air bag. When placed in the front seat, a rear-facing infant seat places an infant’s head within a very few inches of the passenger air bag. In this position, ... Read More »
Airbags, Better Safe, or Sorry?
Airbags are constantly in the news. Promotional ads describe how airbags helped save lives. Skeptics claim that airbags play a major role in automobile fatalities. Within the last few years, the airbag — intended as an additional automobile safety feature — has become a topic of much debate, despite manufacturers’ claims that they can and do save lives. This article ... Read More »
Powerlock
Does anyone really have enough protection against car theft? It seems that whenever a new security product is developed, professional auto thieves learn to defeat it in a very short time. Read More »
What were the Specific Circumstances of the Adult Deaths from Airbags?
Most of the adults who were killed by air bags were not properly restrained. Eighteen of the 35 drivers, and 2 of the 3 passengers, were totally unbelted. Two of the drivers who were belted had medical conditions which caused them to slump over the steering wheel immediately before the crash. A few of the drivers did not use their ... Read More »
What Drivers Should Know About Airbags and Their Proper Use
Among the biggest news stories of the 90s have been reports of airbags killing children and small adults. In true 90s fashion, the media hastened to focus on the drama of “death-by-airbag” and not on the actual facts surrounding the incidents. As of September 1, 1998, there have been 113 confirmed airbag deaths. This number dates back to 1993 when ... Read More »
What is the Safest Way to Ride in Front of an Airbag?
First, move the seat back and buckle up — every time, every trip. The lap belt needs to fit over your hips, not your abdomen, and the shoulder belt should lie on your chest and over your shoulder. Remove any slack from the belt. In a crash, seat belts stretch and slow down your movement toward the steering wheel or ... Read More »
Availability of Manufacturer-Produced On-Off Switches
To view individual manufacturer click on the link below. BMW CHRYSLER DODGE PLYMOUTH JEEP EAGLE FORD LINCOLN MERCURY GENERAL MOTORS HONDA ACURA ISUZU MAZDA MERCEDES SUZUKI NISSAN SUBARU TOYOTA BMW Vehicle Line Model Year Availability Status Z3 1998 (production date 10/97) TBD Return to manufacturer list CHRYSLER DODGE PLYMOUTH JEEP EAGLE Vehicle Line Model Year Availability Status Chrysler Cirrus 1995-1998 ... Read More »
How are Children Best Protected when they Ride in Front of an Airbag?
Never place a rear-facing infant seat in the front seat if the air bag is turned on. Always secure a rear-facing seat in the back seat. Children age 12 and under should ride in the back seat. While almost all of the children killed by an air bag were 7 years old or younger, a few older children have been ... Read More »
