Press Release

American Auto Manufacturers Announces Global Resolve to Boost Airbag Safety

11/19/96

World's Automakers Unite to Improve Air Bag Safety


TORONTO, Nov. 15 -- The world's automakers represented at
an air bag technology workshop here today reached consensus that: 1)
"depowering" air bags in future vehicles -- reducing the speed and
force with which they deploy -- will increase air bag safety for front
seat occupants; 2) the sled test proposed recently by the American
Automobile Manufacturers Association (AAMA) is the preferred approach
to achieve depowering and allow it to occur quickly; and 3)
alternative approaches, such as raising certain crash injury criteria,
will not allow significant improvements in all vehicles and are
therefore unacceptable. The recommendation came at the conclusion of
the two-day workshop sponsored by AAMA, the Association of
International Automobile Manufacturers (AIAM), the Association of
International Automobile Manufacturers of Canada (AIAMC), the
Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) and the Motor Vehicle
Manufacturers Association of Canada (MVMA).

The U.S. and international vehicle manufacturers attending the
conference stated that there would be significant safety gains
associated with depowering, particularly for children and
smaller-statured adults. In fact, many automakers have announced their
intention to begin to depower as soon as possible in Canada, where
there are no regulatory constraints to doing so.

Manufacturers stressed that the changes to allow depowering in future
vehicles as suggested in the preferred approach above will not slow
down the development of advanced air bag technology. Depowering is the
best short-term option available, but depowering alone will not
eliminate all associated risks.

Air bags are highly-effective, supplemental, safety devices intended
to maximize occupant protection when used with a safety belt, the
primary safety device. The record of air bag effectiveness speaks for
itself; AAMA, AIAM and their respective members want to build on this
positive record and remain committed to this life-saying technology.

Air Bag Safety ... Buckle, Everyone ... Children in Back.