Should air bag on-off switches be installed in cars?
A. Air bags have helped reduce deaths and serious injuries in automobile crashes since their introduction in the late 1980s. By 2003, more than three in four (77 percent) drivers reported having an air bag in their primary driving vehicle. • Air bags must come out fast to create the instant buffer that, with safety belts, protects people from serious injuries in a frontal collision. During pre-crash braking, unrestrained drivers and passengers may be thrown against the hub of the steering wheel or dashboard, where an air bag is housed. Individuals not wearing their lap and shoulder belts and/or who are riding less than 10 inches from where the air bag is housed can receive serious or even fatal injuries from deploying air bags. • The steering wheel itself is a primary cause of injury to drivers during a crash. To reduce risk of these injuries, sit back as far as possible from the steering wheel. • Families who may consider installing on-off switches so children can ride in the front se
