A Consumer Case for the Air Bag and the Problem of Public Acceptance 720427

Impositions placed on vehicle occupants by safety belts and safety belt use are substantial and will increase as systems to encourage or force belt usage are incorporated. By comparison, the known impositions of air bags are minor, but to these must be added other requirements, the extent of which are not yet well-known. Substantial fleet testing of air bags will clarify most of these inconveniences. Automobile manufacturers and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration have failed to generate public support for the air bag. Lack of consumer support will continue unless greater resources are allocated to equip fleet vehicles with air bag systems so that a reliable record of air-bag efficacy can be compiled.