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U.S. to Allow Air Bag Cutoff Switches

On November 18, 1997, after more than a year of debate, the U.S. government issued a ruling that will allow car owners to install switches that will enable them to turn air bags on or off. The rule is a compromise designed to satisfy auto industry and consumer groups, who say the switches could lead to more highway deaths, while satisfying motorists and passengers who fear that air bags, which deploy forcefully, could injure or kill them or their children.

The switches may cost as much as $200 to install, according to officials of General Motors Corp. and Ford Motor Co. To obtain permission to install the switch, a car owner must request an application from the government. The car owner will receive a form along with information on the risks of disabling an air bag. The owner must "self-certify" that he or she qualifies and submit the form for approval by the National Highway Traffic Administration. The agency will then send the owner an authorization letter allowing a mechanic to install the switch.

Acceptable reasons for putting in a switch would include:

   - An existing medical condition that could be aggravated by an air bag deployment.

   - A small adult, who must sit so close to the point of potential air bag deployment (within 12 inches), that he or she could be vulnerable to a rapidly expanding air bag.

   - When routine passenger loads require that at least one child sit up front.

Application forms to apply for deactivation are available from car dealers, NHTSA, or on the Internet (www.nhtsa.dot.gov). Send the completed application to NHTSA (no proof is required when giving the reason for requesting deactivation), which will issue the authorization. Then take the authorization notice to a service agent who can install a switch; the agent will notify NHTSA in writing that the switch has been installed.