Air bags and children do not mix.
Evidence continues to mount that passenger-side air bags pose a serious risk to children, regardless of whether the youngsters are properly belted in or not. Automakers need to urgently address and solve the problem.When concerns about air bags injuring and killing children were initially raised, the premise was that those affected were improperly restrained. But at least one recent accident investigation by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration showed that the young victim was fastened in a seat belt when the air bag deployed, but the youngster died anyway.
While safety advocates and the highway administration continue to warn parents that children under age 12 should not ride in the front seats of vehicles with passenger air bags, the word doesn't seem to be spreading fast enough. And while parents should assume responsibility for not putting their children at risk, automakers should step up and resolve a problem they knew existed years ago when air bags were being tested.
In fact, early on concerns about air bags and children were used by automakers in their attempt to fight the idea due to cost concerns. But those safety questions were swept aside in the overwhelming public sentiment in favor of air bags. Now the dilemma must be resolved, as the problem is only going to become greater.
There are currently 15 million vehicles on the road with passenger-side air bags, and the safety devices become mandatory in 1998-model cars and 1999 trucks. At least 28 children and 19 adult drivers have been killed by air bags to date, including one in Utah. More and more children will die or be severely hurt as time goes on if changes are not made, which is unacceptable.
While parents ought to do their part, it is not always convenient to put children in the back seat or to leave the passenger-side spot in the front seat vacant. Many soccer moms and others drive with a full load. And parents want to converse with an only child in the car without looking over their shoulders.
Thus far, the only serious solution offered has been warning labels directing parents not to put children in the front seat, combined with an on-off switch for passenger-side bags. Those proposals have been tepidly received by automakers, but to date, they are the only viable options proposed to prevent the sacrifice of children on the altar of highway safety.
They should be speedily adopted by the NHTSA.