DOT Announces New Policy for Air Bag On-Off Switches
18 November 1997
DOT Announces New Policy for Air Bag On-Off Switches
FORT WORTH, Texas, Nov. 18 -- Continuing the Department of
Transportation's comprehensive effort to preserve the benefits of air bags and
minimize their risks, consumers fitting certain risk profiles will be able to
purchase an on-off switch to temporarily deactivate the device under a plan
announced today.
In addition to making air bag on-off switches available under limited
circumstances, it was announced that a national public-private educational
campaign is being launched to help consumers make informed decisions
concerning switches.
"This is the practical solution that allows you to turn off the air bag
for someone at risk and turn it back on to preserve the lifesaving benefits
for everyone else," said Transportation Secretary Rodney E. Slater.
Secretary Slater cautioned, however, that few people will need the new air
bag on-off switches. Air bags provide life-saving benefits for the vast
majority of people, who can virtually eliminate any risk from deployments by
following basic safety rules:
-- Buckle your seat belt.
-- Never place a rear-facing infant seat in front of an air bag.
-- Keep approximately 10 inches between your breastbone and the air bag.
-- Place children in the back seat and make sure they are properly
restrained, either in a seat belt or a child safety seat appropriate
for their size and weight.
Under the new rule developed by the National Highway Traffic Safety
Administration, auto dealers and service outlets can begin installing on-off
switches on Jan. 19, 1998.
To obtain a switch, consumers must follow a simple four-step process.
First, they must obtain a NHTSA information brochure and a request form, both
of which will be available from the agency and at vehicle dealerships, repair
shops, state motor vehicle offices, and other locations.
Second, they must fill out the request form and send it to NHTSA. Vehicle
owners must certify on the form that they have read the information brochure
and that they fit one of four profiles of people at risk.
Third, NHTSA will send an authorization letter to the vehicle owner.
Finally, the vehicle owner would take the letter to a dealership or other
service outlet to have an on-off switch installed.
The four eligibility profiles are:
-- Those who cannot avoid placing rear-facing infant seats in the front
passenger seat.
-- Those who have a medical condition that places them at specific risk.
-- Those who cannot adjust their driver's position to keep back
approximately 10 inches from the steering wheel.
-- Those who cannot avoid situations -- such as a car pool -- that
require a child 12 or under to ride in the front seat.
To help consumers make informed and appropriate decisions about air bag
safety, the Department of Transportation today began a major educational
effort in partnership with many organizations, including the Air Bag Safety
Campaign, the American Automobile Association, the Centers for Disease
Control, the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, auto dealers, state motor
vehicle departments, and many other public and private organizations and
individual companies.
These partners will help distribute millions of copies of NHTSA's
information brochure, include air bag safety information in publications,
answer questions from the public, and conduct other media activities.
The rule announced today addresses the risks from the current generation
of air bags in vehicles already on the road and those that will be built
during the next few years. Continued changes and emerging technologies will
lead to air bags with improved performance that eliminate risks to all vehicle
passengers. NHTSA is leading an aggressive research effort with the goal of
issuing a proposal on advanced air bags in the first half of 1998.
This action builds upon a comprehensive series of actions that have been
taken to preserve the benefits of air bags while reducing their risks:
-- In May 1995, NHTSA allowed automakers to install on-off switches for
passenger air bags in new cars and light trucks that have no rear
seats or rear seats that were too small to properly accommodate a
child seat.
-- In May 1996, NHTSA launched the Air Bag Safety Campaign, a public-
private coalition involving automakers, insurance companies, suppliers
and safety groups aimed at educating people about safe transportation
in vehicles with air bags.
-- In November 1996, NHTSA required that bold new labels with explicit
air bag safety warnings be installed in all new vehicles and on child
safety seats. Automakers also agreed to mail copies of the new labels
to the owners of air bag-equipped vehicles that already were on the
road.
-- In December 1996, NHTSA extended for two more years, until Aug. 31,
2000, its policy allowing passenger-side on-off switches in vehicles
that cannot accommodate a child seat in the rear seat.
-- In March 1997, NHTSA allowed automakers the flexibility to more
quickly reduce the power of their air bags by 20 to 35 percent.
Automakers have said they will be able to install reduced-power air
bags in most 1998-model vehicles that need them.
Consumers who have questions or concerns about air bags should contact the
agency's toll-free Auto Safety Hotline at 1-800-424-9393. For up-to-date
information on air bag issues, contact NHTSA's site on the World Wide Web at-
http://www.nhtsa.dot.gov and click on the air bag icon.
SOURCE National Highway Traffic Safety Administration