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Press Release |
Contact: David Butler, (202) 462-6262 |
WASHINGTON, DC -- Consumers Union, the nonprofit publisher of
Consumer Reports magazine, today expressed great
disappointment at published reports that federal regulators have
decided to allow automakers to reduce the stringency of air bag
tests.
According to today's Washington Post and Wall Street Journal, the
National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) is expected to
issue a rule next week to reduce the stringency of air bag testing
performed on unbelted dummies from the 30-mph standard to 25 mph.
"When NHTSA made its original air-bag proposal to the Office of
Management and Budget, it supported the 30-mph standard. NHTSA
predicted that there would be 200 to 400 more fatalities if the speed
of the tests was dropped to 25 mph," said R. David Pittle, senior
vice president and technical director for Consumers Union.
"Lower-test-speed bags offer less protection. The fatalities
predicted by NHTSA would occur specifically because of these
less-powerful air bags. That's an unnecessary cost to occupant
safety.
"Today's technology allows automakers to provide air bags that
protect both unbelted adults in high-speed crashes as well as smaller
occupants in low-speed crashes. It's not a matter of either-or,"
Pittle added.
The move to reduce the standard came in response to air bag
fatalities, often involving unbelted occupants in low-speed
accidents. Consumers groups such as CU argued that the solution to
this tragic problem was preventing bags from firing prematurely,
rather than reducing the stringency of the bag tests, which in turn
reduces the safety of the bag itself.
While CU opposes the change in stringency standard, CU credits the
new rule for attempting to prevent premature firings as well.
"Nearly all of the 158 air-bag fatalities occurred at low speeds
when the air bag wasn't needed and shouldn't have fired. The new rule
addresses this problem by requiring automakers to adjust sensors to
prevent those low-speed deployments. In crashes where a person is
sitting too close to the bag, the rule would require sensors to
prevent the bag from going off at all," said Sally Greenberg, senior
product safety counsel for CU's Washington, D.C. office.
Consumers Union, publisher of Consumer Reports magazine, is an independent, nonprofit testing and information-gathering organization, serving only the consumer. We are a comprehensive source of unbiased advice about products and services, personal finance, health, nutrition, and other consumer concerns. Since 1936, our mission has been to test products, inform the public, and protect consumers. Consumers Union is located online at www.consumersunion.org
