Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: THURSDAY, August 24, 1995 TAG: 9508240057
SECTION: NATIONAL/INTERNATIONAL PAGE: A-3 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: Associated Press
DATELINE: WASHINGTON LENGTH: Short
National Highway Traffic Safety Administrator Ricardo Martinez said the air-bag cutoff switches being offered on 1996 Ford Ranger pickup trucks will save the lives of infants.
Air bags prevent many deaths and serious injuries, Martinez said at a briefing on the courtyard of the Transportation Department building, flanked by pickups.
But ``air bags and rear-facing infant seats do not mix,'' Martinez said. ``The availability of a manual cutoff switch is an important step in preventing injury to infants who are in the front seat by necessity.''
By far the safest place for any child is in the back seat of a vehicle, he said.
But most pickup trucks and some sports cars don't have rear seats, forcing parents to place their children in the front.
The sudden impact of an air bag can injure children under age 1 - those weighing less than about 20 pounds - he said, because their bone structure is not fully developed.
So the agency is permitting manufacturers to install air-bag cutoffs in these vehicles as an interim measure until another means can be developed to prevent these injuries.
The switch turns off only the passenger-side air bag, and a warning light comes on when it is used so the driver doesn't accidentally leave if off when an adult or older child is in the vehicle.
by CNB