ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1996, Roanoke Times
DATE: Saturday, December 21, 1996 TAG: 9612230072
SECTION: NATIONAL/INTERNATIONAL PAGE: A-5 EDITION: METRO
DATELINE: WASHINGTON
SOURCE: Knight-Ridder/Tribune
In a dramatic turnabout, top U.S. automakers said Friday that they'll propose putting airbag on-off switches in cars and trucks to prevent millions of frightened consumers from disconnecting airbags.
Meanwhile, an Associated Press poll found that most adults believe it important to put a child in the back seat if their car has dual airbags, suggesting the public has gotten the message that airbags can kill children.
Automakers say they would rather put the switches in many of the 50 million cars and trucks with airbags already on the road than allow mechanics to disable airbags as proposed by federal safety officials.
Chrysler Chairman Bob Eaton said Friday that ``it would be a disaster'' if the government allowed widespread disconnection of airbags by mechanics or dealers.
Rick Wagner, General Motors president of North American operations, said at a Washington news conference that a ``switch would be a better idea.''
Currently, it is illegal for mechanics to disable airbags, although consumers can do it themselves.
But the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, as part of a sweeping effort to make airbags safer, is ready to change the law to allow disconnections over the objections of automakers and dealers. Airbags have been blamed for the deaths of 52 people.
Only two months ago, Chrysler, Ford and General Motors were vehemently opposed to expanding the use of switches, fearing people would forget the bags had been turned off and sue automakers for injuries that might have been prevented if the airbag had been working.
While the highway safety administration doesn't favor having consumers disconnect their bags, the agency has received thousands of calls and letters from consumers - especially short women and parents - who fear the bags will kill them or their children.
In the AP poll, 88 percent of adults polled said it was important when a car had a passenger-side airbag to always put small children in the back seat.
Only 10 percent said it was not important to put a child age 12 or under in the back seat all the time.
This year, automakers, the government and insurance and safety groups have waged a public information campaign stressing that children 12 and younger should sit in back seats because of airbags.
``They got the message,'' said Mike Flynn of the University of Michigan's Office for the Study of Automotive Transportation. ``The percentage is impressive.''
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
LENGTH: Medium: 58 lines ILLUSTRATION: GRAPHIC: Chart by AP. color.by CNB