U.S.

Airbag Rules Overhauled

May 5, 2000 / 9:25 AM EDT / CBS

The Department of Transportation unveiled new standards for testing automobile airbags Friday and also said it would change the way it conducts crash tests.

While airbags have saved thousands of lives, they can also be fatal for smaller drivers and others, especially those not wearing seatbelts. The new standards lower the speed at which unbelted passengers must be protected in a crash from 30 to 25 mph. That means the bags can open with less force, so they are less likely to cause injury.

Under a new rule that takes effect with the 2004 model year, auto makers will be required to perform tests using an entire ``family'' of auto dummies, including dummies sized to approximate 1, 3 and 6-year-old children and a small woman, as well as an average-size man.

Since 1990, airbags have killed 158 children and small adults, most unbelted and involved in low-speed crashes.

The new regulations attempt to recreate real-world conditions by specifying that child dummies be placed in child seats on the passenger seat and in unbelted sitting, kneeling, standing and lying positions.

Consumer groups have criticized the new standards, calling instead for a "smarter" airbag that would alter its explosive force to match the size of the person it is protecting.

Some consumer groups want a return to the 30 mph standard, which they say could be combined with advanced technology to stop them from inflating at lower crash speeds.

``The people who have been killed by airbags in low-speed crashes were killed by cut-rate airbags that manufacturers installed years ago to save money,'' safety group Public Citizen said in a statement criticizing the rule. ``Technology has existed for years to ensure that airbags do not injure smaller-statured people in low-speed crashes, but few manufacturers use it.''

Auto officials dispute that it is a matter of cost, saying customers demand safer products.

General Motors Corp. praised the NHTSA announcement.

``The new advanced airbag rule reflects a thorough, comprehensive and scientific approach that will significantly improve vehicle occupant safety,'' said GM vice chairman Harry Pearce.

During a phase-in period, from Sept. 1, 2003 to Aug. 31, 2006, vehicles will be required to meet requirements for reducing airbag risks, either by automatically turning off the airbag in the presence of young children or deploying the airbag in a manner less likely to cause serious or fatal injury, officials said.

During a second phase-in, from Sept. 1, 2007, to Aug. 31, 2010, the maximum test speed for belted, average-size dummies will increase from 30 mph to 35 mph.

Transportation officials say the rule could change after a period of public comment and reaction to the slower-speed test.