ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1996, Roanoke Times
DATE: Saturday, November 2, 1996 TAG: 9611040060
SECTION: NATIONAL/INTERNATIONAL PAGE: A-1 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: From The Boston Globe and Knight-Ridder/Tribune
Ford, Chrysler, General Motors and Toyota said Friday they will send letters to 22 million of their customers telling them about the danger automobile airbags pose for children.
The basic message will be simple: Don't put children under 13 in the front seat of vehicles equipped with airbags.
The exact wording of the warning labels and letters hasn't been decided, but the message will be targeted at the parents of children, even though almost as many adults - mostly women under 5-foot-4 - have been killed by airbags.
``I'm a short woman, and I think they need to address the risks to women and give women advice,'' Sue Ferguson, vice president of the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety. ``Maybe they can't do that in a warning label, but they certainly could do it in their letter.''
The only advice automakers had for adults is this: Always wear lap and shoulder belts, and move the seat as far back as practical from the airbag.
In addition to the letters, the automakers said they will put airbag warnings in cars. The three U.S. companies also repeated their call for a reduction in the power of airbags so they would open with far less force.
``Airbags and safety belts save lives, but for children airbags can be deadly,'' the American Automobile Manufacturers Association said Friday.
While airbags have saved more than 1,200 lives in five years, federal officials say 28 children riding in the front passenger seat have been killed by them. Most of the victims were either infants riding in rear-facing child seats or older children not buckled in properly.
One victim was 5-year-old Eduardo Cabrera of Nashua, N.H. He broke his neck in mid-September when the car his father was driving ran a red light, got hit by another car and then ran into a street light. Eduardo was not wearing a seat belt at the time, a violation of state law.
The force of an exploding airbag hitting an unbuckled child like Eduardo or ramming into an infant's head can be fatal. Airbags are designed to open at speeds of up to 200 mph with tremendous force.
Safety officials for years have been urging parents to put children under 12 in the back seat and buckle them in. Small children should ride in the back in safety seats.
But poll research released Friday by the National Safety Council in Washington indicates that most Americans are not receiving the message.
The survey found that 85 percent of parents believe children under 12 are safe in the front passenger seat, while 66 percent think children under 6 are safe there. Many parents believe airbags are pillows that cushion people during a crash.
After the three U.S. companies announced their plans to correct this misunderstanding, Toyota said it would follow suit. Each company plans to send out its own letter after conferring with federal officials.
While automobile manufacturers say they will eventually design ``smart'' airbags that will adjust to the shape and size of the occupant of the seat, for now they are seeking permission to ``depower'' airbags to lessen their explosive force.
David Giroux, a spokesman for Ford, estimates a bag could open with half the current force and still provide adequate protection. Airbags are now designed to protect an average man not wearing a seat belt in a 30-mph crash. Giroux notes most crashes occur at lower speeds and more people are wearing seat belts.
Joan Claybrook, president of the consumer group Public Citizen and the former head of the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, said she applauded the education effort but was worried about depowering airbags.
``I'm concerned about what the tradeoff would be for high-powered crashes,'' she said.
LENGTH: Medium: 72 linesby CNB