Remarks by NHTSA Adminstrator Martinez on
Comprehensive Plan to Improve Air Bag Technology

November 22, 1996

The top priority of the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration is the safety of the motoring public. Safety has been and always will be our chief concern, our motivation and our responsibility to the American people.

Since the introduction of air bags into the marketplace ten years ago, air bags have saved more than 1,500 lives and significantly reduced the number of serious head and chest injuries. They are responsible for an 11 percent reduction in driver fatalities in passenger cars and provide drivers with a 30 percent decrease in fatal injury in head-on crashes. In 1995 alone, air bags saved more than 460 lives.

Air bags are saving lives every day. Today, in this audience, we have individuals -parents, spouses, family members - who have been saved by air bag technology in potentially fatal crashes. One in particular, Kathryn Jones, is with us today - her crash pictured - after surviving a high-speed head on collision. Hers and other's stories continue to accumulate as air bags become more common in crashes. I invite you to meet with them after this news conference.

Because airbag technology is saving lives and are estimated to save over 3000 lives a year when all cars have air bags, we are committed to air bags and are working to improve them.

As the number of air bags, and more particularly, passenger side air bags, has increased in the fleet, NHTSA has identified unacceptable problems and continues to take actions to reduce them. To date, with a fleet containing more than 70 million air bags, we have identified 19 adults killed by the driver side air bag, and 31 children by the passenger side air bag. Most of these adults and children were unrestrained. Nine of these children were in rear-facing infant seats.

In 1991 before the first air bag-related child fatality, NHTSA warned the public of the dangers of placing a rear-facing infant seat in front of a passenger side air bag. In 1993, NHTSA issued rules for warning labels on vehicles and child seats. In 1994, cut-off switches were permitted for passenger air bags in vehicles without a rear-seat.

Since passenger side air bags were increasingly coming into the marketplace for the 1996 model year cars. As Administrator, I formed a NHTSA task force in the Summer of 1995 to identify and investigate adverse effects and injuries so that we could take corrective action. In October,1995, NHTSA issued another warning about the dangers of air bags to children, and cautioned that children should be placed in the back seat. We repeated our warning about the dangers of rear-facing infant seats and passenger side air bags. A month later in November, we issued a Request for Comments that opened the door to improving the federal standard. We requested information and comment on the risks of air bags and possible solutions. In January, 1996, we issued a "Call to Action" and brought together a large coalition of safety, medical, auto industry, insurance, and children's groups to get out the word on air bag safety and children. This lead to the formation of the Air Bag Safety Campaign in May, which raised more than $10 million for public eduation and information, improved seat belt laws, and enhanced enforcement of existing seat belt laws.

Three months ago, in August, we released proposals to improve warning labels, extend the use of cut-off switches in vehicles without a back seat, and encouraged the introduction of new "smart" air bag technology into vehicles.

We also embarked on an intense research program to identify the exact cause of air bag injury and find possible solutions. That program continues. But the time necessary for aquiring in-depth knowledge must be weighed against the time delay in making good decisions and taking action. We are now at the point where we believe that a correct course of action is apparent and validated by our existing research.

There is much discussion about air bags and the public understandably is much concerned and confused about air bags. There is no silver bullet--no single solution that on its own solves this complex problem. Solving the problems while preserving the benefits was the fundamental maxim that guided all of our deliberations to make current and future air bags safer. Today, I will clearly lay out for you a comprehensive strategy to address the issues of today... and improve auto safety for the future.

First, we will propose setting a phase-in schedule for "smart" air bags to begin in model year 1999. Much of the problem today stems from the challenge of having an air bag provide protection to a wide range of occupants. A "smart" air bag's deployment can be tailored to the size of the occupant and the circumstances of a crash. This is the next quantum leap in frontal crash protection and it is within reach in the near future because of to unprecedented growth and intense competition in the air bag and automobile industries. We will continue to do everything we can to encourage the rapid development and design flexibility of this new generation of air bags.

Having addressed future vehicles, we will make the following changes for vehicles produced in the near term until the introduction of smart air bag-equipped vehicles -depowering of air bags and enhanced warning labels. We will propose a new rule to bring depowered ai rbags quickly into the fleet.

Our research shows that depowering air bags by 20-35% will dramatically reduce the hazard air bags pose to belted children and at-risk adults, while still providing protection for unbelted adults. At the same time, the level of depowering to be will likely enhance, the safety benefits for those who are using a seat belt. Our intent is to bring depowering to all current production vehicles within one year.

Today, we are issuing a final rule requiring new, highly visible warning labels which will be required for all new cars and light trucks sold beginning in 90 days. The labels will be required for both sides of the sun visor. Another warning, which may only be removed by the owner after delivery, will be affixed to the dash board. A warning label will also be required for all automobile child safety seats beginning within 180 days . This requirement for labels will remain in effect until "smart" bags come on line.

In the meantime, we are also extending the current policy of permitting automakers to install manual cut-off switches in vehicles without back seats. Until "smart" bags are available, it is vitally important that owners of vehicles without rear seats be able to protect infants in car seats, children and at-risk adults.

For existing cars, some 50 million already on the road, we believe that education and information, some changes in driving habits, and legal disconnect remedy work together to minimize risk and enhance air bag safety.

We will propose a streamlined Notice of Proposed Rulemaking to permit auto dealers to deactivate the air bags of any owner who requests it. This deactivation policy, as opposed to our current case-by-case approval, is intended to provide those with children with medical conditions requiring monitoring, families that need to car pool children, short stature individuals unable to move back from the steering wheel, and others who are concerned about air bag risks, with a legal avenue to turn them off. Existing federal law prohibits dealers from rendering any safety equipment inoperative.

However, we strongly believe that very few people should take this action because the benefits for most occupants will vastly outweigh the potential hazard. Instead of deactivating the air bag, a few simple rules do work: keep belted and sit back from the air bag; never put children under 12 years old or a rear-facing infant seat in front of an air bag. We will work with automobile dealers and provide them with guidance so that they can help their customers make an informed decision on whether to deactivate an air bag, alert occupants as to the status of the air bag, and safeguard future car owners use of the air bag. We want people to have the right to make an informed decision, not a panicked one.

We will increase our public awareness activities through all means, including our coordination with the national Air Bag Safety campaign, automakers, insurers, medical providers, health care organizations, and safety groups. We will build upon that success as we reach out to educate all drivers through a national distribution of information about air bags, and copies of the warning labels. We will use state motor vehicle offices, fast food chains, convenience stores and other distribution outlets. And, we are using our popular public service characters "Vince and Larry" to help convey information about air bag safety. But most of all, we need professionals like you in the media to keep the public informed about what they should and can do today and to help them have a perspective from which to make decisions.

We asked the auto manufacturers to send a letter to owners of air bag cars to warn them of known risks and what to do to enhance safety. They have agreed to do so, and I applaud them for taking this important step to communicate one-on-one with their customers. Along with enhanced warning labels, this was a priority of the victim's.

In summing up, I want to underscore that -- central to all of these actions -- there are things that you should and can do today. Parents who own passenger air bag-equipped vehicles must make sure that children age 12 and under should always ride buckled up in the back seat. Rear-facing infant seats must never be placed in front of a passenger-side air bag. The changes we are announcing today will make tomorrow's air bags safer for children, but in the interim parents must take responsibility for their children's safety. And, drivers must drive back from the steering wheel hub where the air bag is located.

Here at NHTSA, where the safety of the motoring public is our top priority, we cannot overemphasize this responsibility. At the same time, we pledge to parents that we will make an unprecedented effort to provide you all the information you need about auto and air bag safety.

Source: NHTSA