AirBags

Air bags have taken quite a rap recently - a bum rap in the view of most safety experts. Automakers began installing air bags in relatively large numbers in 1990, first in the steering wheel to protect the driver and later in the dash to protect the front-seat passenger. For the 2001 model year, NHTSA mandated that every new light truck have these dual air bags.

Despite that fact that some children and adults have been injured or killed by deploying air bags, there's still no doubt that air bags are an important safety feature (see Air Bag Facts and Myths). But it's a question of policy that has led air bags to become objects of suspicion - or even fear - among many motorists.

The most important safety feature in any car is a three-point seatbelt. When properly secured, seatbelts alone reduce the risk of fatal injury to drivers and front-seat occupants by 45 percent and the risk of moderate-to-critical injury by 50 percent.

Unlike air bags, seatbelts protect in all kinds of accidents, including frontal impacts, side impacts, rear impact and roll-overs. Steering-wheel or dash-mounted air bags are only effective in frontal impacts - accidents that account for only about half of all highway fatalities. That's why, to be fully protected, it's vital to wear a seatbelt even in trucks with air bags. And that's why air bags are considered "supplemental" or additional restraints to the primary retraints, the seatbelts. (The little "SRS" logo on the steering wheel in trucks equipped with air bags stands for "Supplemental Restraint System.")

But some stupid schnooks refuse to wear their seatbelts - about 40% of all American drivers and occupants, despite laws in 49 states that require people to buckle up (New Hampshire, whose motto ironically is "Live Free or Die," is the one exception). So early on in the air bag game, NHTSA decided that air bags should protect unbelted folks in frontal collisions as well as those responsible citizens who always buckle up. Unfortunately, it takes a more powerful air bag to protect an unbelted person than a belted one, especially a large American male. To protect them, an air bag needs to burst out of the steering wheel or dash at nearly 200 mph, and that's what NHTSA mandated. Now that it's been shown that these powerful air bags can harm or kill children or frail adults, NHTSA has relaxed its rules to allow automakers to install "de-powered" or "second-generation" air bags that are 20% to 35% less powerful. These bags, which deploy with less force, are still powerful enough to protect people who wear their seatbelts, but should provide less chance of harm to children and to the elderly.

Many new vehicles offer computer-operated dual deploy or dual-stage airbags. These "Smart" airbags can deploy at two speeds, or not at all, depending on information sent to the computer from sensors located in the seatbelts and front seats.

In less severe accidents, airbags deploy at the lower first stage, usually about 70 percent of full force. In more severe accidents, both stages are deployed. Seat sensors in some systems also can detect the weight of passengers and deploy only if the occupant is above a certain weight - helping to prevent airbag-related injuries to a child or small adult. In some vehicle systems, if no one is sitting in the passenger seat, the airbag won't deploy. Systems offered in some luxury models help protect smaller drivers by only deploying the driver's front airbag at the lower stage. Smaller drivers are detected by the forward position of the seat on the seat track.

NHTSA will require these smart air bags in all vehicles by 2005. Automakers have also begun to introduce side air bags mounted in the doors or seats to supplement the standard driver and passenger front air bags. The side bags can protect either front- or rear-seat passengers when the vehicle is struck on its side. BMW, Lexus, Mercedes-Benz, Saab, Toyota, Volkswagen and Volvo are among the automakers that offer side air bags as standard or optional equipment on some or all of their models. Ford offers them on the Explorer and Mountaineer sport utility vehicles, and on the Windstar minivan. Certain kinds of injuries can be reduced by 10 to 15 percent with side air bags, according to NHTSA.

Since 2000, automakers have been required to add extra padding around windows to help prevent head injuries. But some automakers - BMW, General Motors and Mercedes-Benz among them - have also introduced roof-mounted air bags on some models that seem to go one step further. Mercedes' "curtain" bags cover nearly the entire door; BMW's "sausage" bags extend across the top the door to help protect the occupant's head from smashing into the side pillar or the side windows.

In 2001, Dodge's Ram and Quad Cab became the first pickups with curtain airbags. Jeep and Durango sport utilities also have them.

NHTSA is allowing automakers to install air-bag cutoff switches in trucks without back seats - i.e., in pickups - for those who need to carry rear-facing infant seats.