Air Bags Can KillEven though air bags are designed to save lives, they can beharmful or fatal to some people. The National Highway Traffic SafetyAdministration has recognized this concern and has made efforts toreduce injuries caused by air bag deployment by allowing the installationof a switch that turns off air bags. But in order to have a switchinstalled, the driver must file a request for an air bag on-off switch. People shouldnt have to seek permission from the government todisable a device that has been found to be responsible for many deathsfrom their vehicles.
According to The Oracle, Turning off the airbags,(http://zephyr. oracle. usf. edu/archive/199711/19971119/19971119-comment1. html), when an airbag deploys, there is an explosion in the dash andsteering wheel that releases the airbags at a speed of 200 mph. This forcehas been found to be the cause of many deaths, mostly being children.
And the explosion that propels the airbag can cause chemical burns andeven blindness. The dangers of airbags are so great that carmanufacturers now put warning labels in vehicles explaining thedangers. Now, according to CNN, Government announces rules for airbag switches,(http://www. cnn. com/US/9711/18/airbags.
presser/index. html), if theowner of a vehicle or a passenger has a medical condition which wouldput them at a greater risk from airbags, then they can apply permission todisable the airbags in their vehicle. This also applies if a child must ridein the front seat. But it doesnt protect people who would need to drivesomeone elses car, or people who would give someone elses children aride. It will only protect the vehicles owner and immediate family. Although passing the rule that allows the owner of a vehicle todisable the airbags is a good start in saving lives, it is not enough.
Everyone cant have switches installed in their vehicles, just people whomeet the requirements set by the NHSTA. The government shouldnthave to decide whether or not air bags pose a treat to individualpassengers and drivers. As Henry Thoreau says in Civil DisobedienceConversations p. 642, government is best which governs least. We justdont need laws on airbags at all. It would be more practical for thedriver of the car to make the choice if the airbags should be on or off.
Ifthere is to be a law passed, then it should require auto manufactures toput shutoff switches on all vehicles equipped with airbags. Thegovernment wont do this because it has the attitude that it has to protecteveryone from themselves, and that if the people are given a choice intheir safety, then they will make the wrong choice. This is unfortunate,especially with airbags, because unlike other mandatory safety devices,like seat belts, air bags have been proven dangerous. They now havewarnings on them explaining how dangerous they are and how to protectyourself from them, but wouldnt the best protection for some be turningthem off? For some the answer is yes. Even though most peoplebenefit from airbags in serious crashes, some dont. And these peopleneed to be able to turn off the air bag in front of them in any vehicle theydrive or ride in, not just the one they own.
This problem has a simple solution. Allowing anyone to install a shutoff switch on his/her own vehicle without having to get permission from the government would be the first step. Also, all new vehicles should have airbag shutoff switches as standard equipment. And the NHTSA should put out public awareness advertisements about who airbags help and who they can be harmful to.
The informed consumer would then be able to override the airbag system whenever they might pose a threat to the driver or passenger and many lives would be saved.
