For more information
Call 1-800-351-0222

AIR BAGS IN AUTOMOBILES.
  Term Paper ID:17489 		Get This Paper Free! or
Essay Subject:
Safety needs, debate over air bags, laws, testing, costs, insurance issues, compared to seat belts. Outline.... More...
7 Pages / 1575 Words
14 sources, 32 Citations, MLA Format
$28.00

More Papers on This Topic


Paper Abstract:
Safety needs, debate over air bags, laws, testing, costs, insurance issues, compared to seat belts. Outline.

Paper Introduction:
OUTLINE I. Introduction  Who Needs Air Bags? A. Safety problem in automobiles B. Air bag solution  air bags improve auto safety II. Summary of Safety Findings A. Debate over air bag use B. Legislative developments III. Air bag testing A. Type of Data

Text of the Paper:
The entire text of the paper is shown below. However, the text is somewhat scrambled. We want to give you as much information as we possibly can about our papers and essays, but we cannot give them away for free. In the text below you will find that while disordered, many of the phrases are essentially intact. From this text you will be able to get a solid sense of the writing style, the concepts addressed, and the sources used in the research paper.


The resultsof the study were analyzed by factors such as direction of impact, area ofvehicle damage, type of damage, and estimated speed. Insurance industry position on air bags A. 1987: 28-9.Marant, Gina. Works Cited"The Air Bags Are Coming." Consumers' Research Magazine May 198 : 16-23."Air Bags, At Last." The Progressive Sept. As with most technological developments, the use of air bags inautomobiles has divergent sides. Field ExperienceIV. Type of Data B. Moreover, a 1987survey found that more of the driving public would prefer air bags overautomatic or semi-automatic seat belts (Kahn 28). What will the legal climate be [regarding the use of air bags]?[What will the] value of the dollar vs. New York: Plenum Press, 1985.Henry, Ed. Lee Iacocca, previously one ofDetroit's harshest critics of air bag use, commented "Who says you can'tteach an old dog new tricks? "TRW's Air Bag Business Looks Ready to Balloon." Business Week 2 Nov. Air bag solution - air bags improve auto safetyII. In 1977, for example, the Secretary ofTransportation mandated passive front seat restraint systems (U.S. In order to illustrate the conflict between the automobile industryand the Safety Administration, it is useful to examine their differentestimates for the installation of air bags. By 1987however, the cost of providing reliable and safe air bags in cars rose toabout $8 per unit. While it is apparent that some data is missing, field experience onsmall cars, multiple passenger accidents, it is clear that the use of airbags significantly reduces the amount and severity of head-on collisions. currency of countries exportinglarge numbers of autos to the U.S." ("More" 2 )? Seat belt systems, presently required by most states, areeffective only when properly used. I had my doubts about air bags, but today'snew technology made me a believer." He further stated that by 199 allU.S. These manufacturer's estimates are substantiallyhigher than the Safety Administration's primarily because the manufacturersbase their figures on lower volume production. .." (Aird 18 ). Air bags work as a passive restraining measure. Position, debate, future action by insurance companiesVI. One of the reasons that engineers relied on this test (76.2percent of the tests were in the frontal mode) was that they believed thatit was "the most severe test for a restraint system" ("The Air" 18). Summary of Safety Findings A. The results of thestudy "showed that the air bag reduced moderate or greater injuries by 5.6percent and severe or greater injuries by 17.8 percent" (U.S. Electronic sensorsin the front of the automobile are programmed to respond to forces of joltswhich exceed 12 m.p.h. built Chrysler automobiles will have air bags installed as standardequipment ("Iacocca's" A23). In contrast, consumer'sseem to be willing to pay slightly more for an automobile equipped with anair bag due to the safety factors involved (Evans and Schwing 374). Safety Administration estimates B. Simply put, air bags work. Studies are often contradictory, however, most showair bags to be reliable over a long period of disuse - reliably inflatingonly in collisions which threaten the occupant. In 1983 Senator John Danforth of Missouri put forward a massivehighway safety bill which included a requirement that air bags be mandatoryin all autos. "Survey Respondents Prefer Air Bags Over Automatic Belts."Automotive News 23 Feb. Congress 22). When automobiles are uniformly equippedand statistical models developed, and when the automotive industrystandardizes the specifications for air bags, insurance companies will beable to more accurately develop a workable model for discounts. "The Debate Over Air Bags Heats Up." Discover Sept. Recently though, many of the harshest critics for the use of air bagshave realigned their previous opinions. Congress 29-3 ).Although the limitations of testing using the frontal mode were recognized,"some of the test data [also] indicated satisfactory performance outsidethe full frontal crash mode" (U.S. Debate over air bag use B. A. Including the costs ofequipment, manufacturing, dealer and manufacturer profit, and the removalof the active seat belt, the Safety Administration figured the cost per airbag to be $112. CongressAppendix I). Upon impact, a chemical isreleased which converts into nitrogen gas to inflate the air bag in lessthan a tenth of a second. His critics believed that people should have a choice andthe process of mandating this safety device was again bogged down inbureaucracy ("A One-Man" 45). Most of the testing was done inthe frontal crash mode - intended to simulate collisions with other cars orfixed objects. Passive Restraints For Automobile Occupants - A Closer Look. Factors affecting rates B. OUTLINEI. Under current governmental regulations, 4 percent of all cars soldin the United States must have either an air bag or automatic seat belt.By 199 , the figure jumps to 4 percent, and by 1994 all cars must havesome full front automatic protection (Henry 67). Washington, D.C.: U.S. Safety problem in automobiles B. There are three variables, however,which enter into the test data: 1. Seat Belts - Why You Should Care." Changing TimesMarch 1988: 67-9."Iacocca's Conversion." The Washington Post 2 July 1988: A23.Kahn, Helen. Manufacturers believe that this cost can be reducedto about $3 per unit by mass-producing the system and installing it onevery car sold in the United States (Phillips 78). Thus, it is clear that the safety factors involved in the use of airbags far outweigh the minor costs incurred. Yet even with this mandate it was not until September 1989 thatautomobile manufacturers found it necessary to comply with federallymandated regulations ("Air" 8). Auto industry estimatesV. Congress 31). Atpresent, little actual field experience exists for the insurance companiesto accurately predict their savings on payment of claims and thus thepassing on of the savings to the consumer by way of premiums (U.S. Still, the conclusive impact of the use of mandatory air bags uponinsurance premiums is uncertain. Congress 29-3 ). Costs of air bags A. That same study "estimated that the medical and disabilitycost savings alone would exceed the expense of installing the equipment"(Passell A34). Congress1). "Air bags vs. Several other factors concern the insurance industry on the problemof cost reduction for air bag installation. Of that number, 334 reported accidents withair bags deployed in 2 5 of the cases (U.S. The reason for a lack of consensus or commitment from theinsurance companies is that it will take several years to compile accurateusage and effectiveness figures for use by the insurance industry. Besides the obvious traumaprotection, air bags protect the head and brain. Government Printing Office, 1979.----------------------- 12 1983:45-6.Passell, Peter. The industry is concerned withinflation, the effect of automotive design on the effectiveness of airbags, and market competition (between manufacturers of air bags). 1988: 8.Aird, Alisandair. According to a government study"several major automobile insurance companies have indicated that they willprovide premium discounts for passive restraint-equipped cars" (U.S.Congress 59). Congress 53). However, many studies show that lessthan 2 per cent of automobiles drivers and passengers use their seat belts("Auto" 1). Legislative developmentsIII. The Automobile Nightmare. Cost factors must figure into the debate on the mandated use of airbag technology. Since the early 197 s, there has been debate over requiringautomobile manufacturers to install mandatory air bags in every automobilesold in the United States. 3. auto death toll of 5 , yearly, air bags are becomingmore of a necessity than a debatable luxury (Marant 8). The Secretary of Transportation's mandatewas based on data that strongly suggested that the use of air bags wouldprevent about 9, traffic deaths and 65, serious injuries annually.This data also suggested that the use of sodium azide as the inflationagent would pose no hazard to human health, and that air bags could beinstalled at a reasonable cost to the consumer - many times reducing theinsurance premium ("The Air" 16). In March 1978, theComptroller's Office of the United States Government sent a questionnaireto twenty of the nation's largest automobile insurance companies. seat belts The use of passive restraints (air bags) in automobiles offers greatpotential for reducing deaths and serious injuries on the roads in theUnited States. The ultimate impact on pricing however, will come from a significantreduction in insurance premium discounts. Congress, Office of the Comptroller General. Air bag testing A. In fact, one study showedthat the use of air bags could reduce automobile deaths by about 4 percent(Passell A34). For this reason, it is important that air bags should beinstalled in all automobiles. 1984:8."More About Air Bags - What Will They Cost?" Consumers' Research Magazine June 198 : 16-2 ."A One-Man Campaign For Air-Bag Legislation." Business Week 3 Oct. In addition to the saving ofproperty, the mandatory use of air bags will save considerable humanresources. According to recent research "there's no question that air bags aresafer than automatic seat belts" (Henry 67). Air bags vs. They also suggested that "over the years, an unused air bagmay lose its power of inflation - or may be triggered off accidentally . Some companies indicate that long-terminsurance impact will depend on the proven effectiveness of air bags inreducing the severity and frequency of medical claims. The primary beneficiaries willbe consumers in states with a form of "no-fault" insurance. 2. Laboratory crash conditions provide a simplified and limitedsimulation of real crash conditions. Signals are then relayed to two holding componentswhich house the folded, deflated bags (one in the steering column, theother on the passenger side of the front seat). Human Behavior and Traffic Safety. "Air Bags Make it to the Showroom." The New York Times 8Nov. Forexample, a representative of Safeco Insurance Companies stated "Too manyvariables to consider - how much inflation in price of medical care/autorepairs? They were installed and tested on severalthousand GM cars in the early 197 s, and have significantly contributed tothe saving of lives. Summary of costs for consumer and industry B. In addition, the rate of insurance discounts for automobiles equippedwith air bags may vary from state to state. Once riders have been cushioned against afrontal impact the bags deflate (U.S. There will, of course, be several factors which affect the rate, typeof discount, and cost of insurance. Since the amount insurancecompanies must pay in these states is higher, the use of air bags wouldtheoretically lower their costs and the insurance industry would then beable to pass the savings on to the consumer ("More" 2 ). 1985: A34.Phillips, Stephen. Theresults of that survey indicated that eleven of the companies plan to offerdiscounts to owners of cars equipped with air bags, four companies wereundecided, and five companies did not plan to offer discounts (U.S.Congress 6 ). 1987: 78-9.U.S. Opponents of the system maintained that in some instances air bagsmight injure children by throwing them around the inside of the automobile(Aird 179). Congress 13). With head on crashes accounting for more thanhalf of the U.S. Conclusion A. In 198 the Safety Administration estimated the cost ofinstalling air bags to be about $112 per automobile ("More" 16). Actual field experience with air bags numbers about 12, automobiles ("The Air" 21). Legislative debates have also been prominent over the air bagquestion. Some of the uncertainties involved in estimating air bageffectiveness are compounded by the lack of comprehensive field data.Critical also is the type of impact tested - air bags are certainly likelyto be more effective in frontal crashes than in rear or side accidents. Schwing. In their estimates of the prevention of approximately9, traffic deaths and 65, serious accidents, the SafetyAdministration relied heavily on laboratory test data and the resultingengineering judgments (U.S. Biomechanical knowledge about human responses in crashes andhuman tolerances to injuries is limited (U.S. Results of frontal tests show air bags to be an excellent restraintsystem under laboratory conditions. It isclear though, that some type of discount will be available for those ownerswhose cars are equipped with air bags. The majorjustification for this is that insurance claim payouts are greater in no-fault states due to high recovery limits. Congress 3-4). Introduction - Who Needs Air Bags? London: Hutchinson, 1972."Auto Air-Bag Debate." Editorial Research Reports 5 March 1981.Evans, Leonard and Richard C. General Motors figured the cost at $193 and Ford at $235(U.S. Air Bag testing was sponsored by the United States Government SafetyAdministration. Emphasis on testing air bag systems in small cars is lackingand extrapolating test data derived from large cars to small cars isdifficult. Newer governmentalstatistics now show that the combination of a seat belt and air bag reducefatalities by as much as 55 percent - and that even without the dual use ofseat belts, air bags would save a significant number of lives (Henry 68).

If this paper is not what you are looking for, you can search again:

Search for:

or

We can write a Custom Essay just for you.


Browse Essays by Subject