Interpretation ID: nht88-1.86

TYPE: INTERPRETATION-NHTSA

DATE: APRIL 6, 1988

FROM: AMIT REIZES

TO: DIANE STEED -- ADMINISTRATOR - NHTSA

TITLE: PROPOSAL TO REQUIRE CAR MANUFACTURERS TO INSTALL AIR BAG RESTRAINTS IN ALL CARS SOLD IN AMERICA.

ATTACHMT: DECEMBER 19, 1988 LETTER FROM JONES TO REIZES AND SEPTEMBER 1987 ISSUE OF "CONSUMER INFORMATION"

TEXT: As you well know, automobile car crashes claim close to 50,000 American lives and cause over 250,000 serious injuries each year. Most of these serious injuries and fatalities are cause by high speed frontal collisions. Independent surveys have indicate d that installation of air bags can reduce the above mentioned figures by as much as fifty percent as reported by Insurance Institute for Highway Safety Special Report, dated July 3, 1987. Since your administration is responsible for rules that car manu facturers must abide by. I implore you to pass a law that would require them to install them in all vehicles sold to the U.S. public.

Air bags have been installed in vehicles as early as 1973, in an effort to increase highway safety and have proven to save the lives of those safety conscious individuals who requested to have them installed in their cars. However, since only individu al consumers have requested them, their cost has been too high for most consumers. Car manufacturers who have picked up on these safety oriented consumers offer air bags as an optional feature. The cost to the perspective buyer may vary between $ 800.0 0 to $ 1800.00 on most luxury models such as Cadillacs and Mercedes Benz and may not even be featured on most common economy cars that are sold today. Richard Haayen wrote an article titled "The airtight case for air bags" in the November 1988 issue of the Saturday Evening Post, in which he states, that having air bags installed in all cars would reduce the selling cost to as little as $ 28.75 per vehicle.

I must applaud the two leading Automobile Insurance Companies U.S.A.A. and GEICO who announced last Wednesday that they will reduce their premium rates by fifty percent to their customers who install air bags in their automobiles. However, I still ins ist that this should be put into legislation. Some may argue that the consumer has a right to decide whether to install air bags or not in his vehicles.

To this I strongly disagree, since we do not have the right to decide about seatbelts. They come with the cars by law and they may not be removed by law.

I think seatbelts are good and have proven to be the best overall protection to the occupant of a vehicle who wear them. Unfortunately, as cited by Helen Kahn in the February 28, 1987 issue of Automotive News, a recent survey indicates that consumers prefer air bags over belts. Moreover, legislation which has been passed in several states requiring seatbelt usage has shown the best response in the State of Maryland at thirty-five percent, as was reported last Monday, April 2, 1988, on the eleven o' clock Eye Witness News on Channel nine. Air bags on the other hand, once installed will be one hundred percent effective in the reduction of injury from frontal crashes. The smart traveler will continue to buckle up as before and will have the best pro tection available, and the careless travelers will also be protected from misfortunes.

I therefore urge you to push forward legislation to require installation of air bags in cars sold in the U.S. I thank you as do the thousands of lives which will be saved.