Airbags in Low Speed Crashes: Costing Lives and Money
23 September 1998
A Killing in Replacement Parts; Airbags in Low Speed Crashes: Costing Lives and Money, Says Ralph Hoar ARLINGTON, Va., Sept. 23 -- Airbag deployments in low speed
crashes are causing deaths and injuries, and costing billions of dollars in
repairs that are probably unnecessary. NHTSA's recently proposed airbag rules
pay scant attention to low-speed crash airbag deployments.
An analysis by Ralph Hoar & Associates of studies published by Canadian,
Australian and U.S. governments and by auto industry and independent
researchers makes it clear that inexpensive airbag sensors, set to deploy in
low speed crashes when they are not necessary, are producing serious,
sometimes fatal, injuries and are creating a windfall in replacement part
sales for manufacturers. This analysis was based in part on documents
provided by a former General Motors engineer.
* Virtually all of the 115 deaths that NHTSA attributes to airbags
occurred in crashes with delta-v's at or below 15 miles per hour, which is
considered low speed.
* About 74 percent of airbag deployments occur in crashes with delta-v's
of 15.5 miles per hour or less, according to Air Bag Deployment Crashes in
Canada, a 1996 study of 359 crashes conducted by Transport Canada and NHTSA's
former deputy R&D chief Dr. Kennerly Digges.
* In a 30 mph sled test of a Ford Taurus in which "both dummies (50th
percentile male) were unrestrained, there was no passenger side air bag, and
the driver air bag was intentionally not deployed ... none of the dummy
responses exceeded the levels required in FMVSS 208," according to a NHTSA
memo reporting the agency's test. The driver HIC (Head Injury Criteria) was
691 and the passenger HIC was 393.
* Effectiveness of Airbags in Australia, a 1996 General Motors study of
airbag performance in its cars in Australia, reports that "the U.S. airbag is
designed as a primary restraint unit, it is more aggressive than its
Australian counterpart." The Australian airbag "is designed as a secondary
restraint system and has a firing threshold of around 28 km/h (>17 mph) and a
less aggressive deployment rate." The authors conclude that the "airbag used
in this popular Australian passenger car may be superior in performance to its
U.S. primary restraint counterpart." NHTSA tested the gentler, kinder Holden
Commodore and found that it meets all FMVSS 208 requirements.
* GM has argued for more than two decades that, with a "friendly
interior," airbags are not needed in crashes below 25 miles per hour.
* NHTSA estimates that 2.25 million driver side airbags deployed in
crashes between the late 1980s and September 1, 1998. They estimate an
additional 344,000 passenger side deployments.
* Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM) airbag replacement parts costs for
randomly selected 1998 model cars sold in the U.S. range from $1,269 for a
Ford Taurus to $8,735 for a Mercedes 320 SL, according to the current edition
of the Mitchell Collision Estimating Guide. The prices include only the parts
that must be replaced whenever a car is repaired after the driver and
passenger airbags deploy. In addition, it is often necessary to replace
windshields and other expensive parts when airbags deploy in low speed
crashes. The cost of such items is not included here.
PRICE SAMPLING
1998 Ford Taurus $1,269: Driver Airbag, $566; Passenger Airbag, $625;
Sensor, $78
1998 Oldsmobile Cutlass $1,391: Driver Airbag, $562; Passenger Airbag,
$625; Sensing and Diagnostic Module, $204
1998 Dodge Caravan $1,497: Driver Airbag, $600; Passenger Airbag, $575;
Clock Spring, without Speed Control, $52; Control Module, $270
1998 Toyota Camry $2,075: Driver Airbag, $489; Passenger Airbag, $1,058;
Sensor Assembly, $527
1997 VW Passat $2,179: Driver Airbag, $640; Passenger Airbag, $810;
Control Unit, $510; CU Mounting Bracket, $3; Seat Belts in Use, $74 each;
Spiral Spring, $47; Cover, $95
1998 Mercedes 320 SL, $8,735: Driver Airbag, $975; Passenger Airbag,
$2,070; Control Unit, $366; Driver Seat Belt Assembly, $286; Passenger Seat
Belt Assembly, $278; Steering Wheel, $2,970; Instrument Panel, $1,790
Let's do the math, conservatively: Driver airbags have deployed in 2.25
million crashes, approximately 74 percent of which involved delta-v's less
than 15.5 mph, for most of which airbags probably were not necessary. Using
the low number for replacement costs (driver parts of the Ford Taurus only),
we have a cost of $1,072,260,000.00 for replacement driver side airbag parts
in crashes where they did little, if any, good. Then 74 percent of 344,000
probably unnecessary passenger side deployments adds another $159,100,000.00,
bringing the most conservatively calculated total cost of low speed airbag
deployments to approximately $1.25 billion dollars and 115 deaths.
The Math
2,250,000 Driver Airbag Deployments
x 74% Crashes below 15.5 MPH Delta-V
1,665,000 Airbag Protection Probably Unnecessary
x $644 Cost of Module and Sensor Parts for 1998 Ford Taurus
Driver Airbag
$1,072,260,000 Sub-Total
Cost of Parts for Probably Unnecessary Driver Airbag
Deployments
344,000 Passenger Side Deployments
x 74% Crashes below 15.5 MPH Delta-V
254,560 Airbag Protection Probably Unnecessary
x $625 Cost of Module for 1998 Ford Taurus Passenger Airbag
$159,100,000 Sub-Total
Cost of Parts for Probably Unnecessary Passenger Airbag
Deployments
$1,231,360,000 Total
Windfall Parts Sales from Probably
Unnecessary Airbag Deployments
