Today airbags are the safety feature that is in all of our new cars produced and imported in America. It is under federal law that all cars sold and used must have This safety equipment. According to the NHTSA, airbags have saved about 3448 lives, but have also killed at least 113 people, as stated in the article.
When airbags were introduced to the public, many consumers saw it as a great safety equipment, some auto manufacturer thought it was also a great idea, bet they did not agree with the regulation by the federal to have in all cars, because it will raise auto prices and the type of cars that the law will hurt most are economy cars. The concept of making the economy cars is to minimize the cost of producing and sell to consumers who are more concerned about price not the luxury. The airbag regulation has certainly raised the prices of cars by about two to four thousand dollars. That means raising the prices of economy cars by that amount, considering that the prices of economy cars without the airbag is only seven to nine thousand dollars. The airbags regulation has certainly hurt the sales of cars especially economy cars.
This is certainly a political issue because many people debating it, trying to change the law in their favor. The article mainly talked about regulators setting new standards, requiring new and better airbags for all cars. New and better technologies mean more tests that cost money from auto manufacturer. Maybe the new technology or new airbags it self cost more money to make. As I learn from my economic class, it not hard to figure out that the increase cost of producing also will also result in the increase in the cost of consuming. Because it would be impossible to expect the auto industries to cut their profit.
Some auto manufacturers do not like This new regulation so they will try to fight it. Regulators wil argue that although airbags saves lives, but it have also taken the lives of people, especially small adults and young children. Regulators have also said that new airbags will save more lives and kill few people. Auto manufacturer are responsible for developing safe cars and the development of new airbags should be at the automakers expenses. Since This is a free country, auto manufacturer can argue this new law from the help of their lawyers.
After all, politics are people arguing and trying to set or change the law in their favor or their beliefs. .
