Background Air bags have on the whole saved thousands of lives. However, some people - infants, out-of-position children and adults of very small stature or with certain medical conditions - may be at increased risk if exposed to some types of air bag deployments. In May 1995, NHTSA issued a final rule allowing manufacturers to install an on-off switch for the passenger air bag in vehicles that cannot accommodate a rear-facing child seat anywhere except in the front seat: e.g., pickup trucks and cars with small rear seats. The rule was intended to accommodate high-risk passengers until advanced air bags became available. By mid-2001, 11.7 million pickup trucks and 171,000 passenger cars or cargo vans were equipped with the switches.
In November 1997, NHTSA issued another final rule enabling owners of any passenger car, pickup truck, van or SUV to obtain an on-off switch for their passenger and/or driver air bags if they transported people in one of the high-risk groups. The benefit of these regulations is contingent on the correct use of the switches: that the air bag is turned off when a high-risk individual is seated behind it, and turned on at other times.
Objectives Determine the percentage of on-off switches that are being properly used - i.e., "off" for high-risk occupants, "on" at other times. More generally, find out how many vehicles have received on-off switches. As a related issue, find out if an increasing percentage of children are riding in the back seat, where there is no problem of interactions with deploying air bags.
Approach A survey of the use of on-off switches was conducted at fast-food restaurants, shopping center parking lots and similar locations in 2000. Since the correctness of the switch setting depends entirely on who is in the seat at that moment, the survey was performed while vehicles were occupied. Unlike shoulder belt use, the setting of the on-off switch could not be observed from a distance; it was necessary to talk to people in stopped vehicles in a friendly environment. The interview included questions about drivers' reasons for turning the switch on or off, their opinions on the risks and benefits of air bags.
Status An Evaluation Note, Preliminary Results of the Survey on the Use of Passenger Air Bag On-Off Switches, was published in July 2001. A comprehensive report has been prepared and is undergoing final revisions.