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Most Dealers Won’t Install Air Bag Switches Since Safety Administration Passed Rule, Only 261 Cars Nationwide Have Had Devices Installed

Luke Timmerman Staff writer

The insurance industry isn’t wild about on-off switches for air bags, automobile dealers are afraid to install the devices and manufacturers are slowly starting to make the parts.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration OK’d the switches on a limited basis in January, but consumers have been slow in demanding them.

In Spokane, consumer interest in the switches has faded since the announcement.

“We’ve hardly gotten any calls,” said Bernard London, service manager at Appleway Chevrolet. “The demand is just not as great as some people think and a lot of people, when they ask, realize they don’t qualify.”

News that air bags have caused 87 deaths in low-speed crashes since the late 1980s convinced NHTSA to approve the on-off switches. In the first seven weeks of the program, 23,566 people nationwide requested authorization forms from NHTSA; 87 percent received approval.

But so far, only 261 vehicles nationwide have had the procedure done.

“They (consumers) are realizing that there are other solutions than an on-off switch,” said Marianne Macina, of the consumer advocacy group Western Insurance Information Services.

Part of the reason for the slow response is because few dealers are installing the switches for fear of liability lawsuits. A January survey of 700 auto dealers by the American Automobile Association showed 84 percent either won’t install the switches or are waiting for more information.

In Washington, Air Bag Service, with shops in Issaquah and Tacoma, is the only shop offering the service, said Mike Baldwin of NHTSA.

Manufacturers are being cautious, too. So far, parts are available only for General Motors and some Ford models, said Steve McKinney, an administrative assistant for Air Bag Service. Toyota, Honda and Chrysler plan to make the switches available this summer.

Cost is the other obstacle. A single switch costs $350, McKinney said. In GM cars, a double switch is required to work on the driver and passenger sides, jacking up the price to $650.

Many customers have decided it’s not a good idea, local service managers said.

“If you wear a safety belt and you’re not right on top of the steering wheel, you’re perfectly safe with an air bag,” said Baldwin, who leads NHTSA’s safety program in Seattle.

That’s the standard line from NHTSA, and Baldwin said it has dissuaded some consumers from going through with the procedure.

The guidelines for eligibility are crafted tightly. Before approving the switch, the NHTSA suggests drivers shorter than 5 feet 5 inches move their seats back so there is a 10-inch distance between their chest and the steering wheel. Pedal extenders are suggested for those who can not reach the pedal from that distance.

Some insurance companies also threatened to drop air bag discounts on premiums when NHTSA announced its intentions last fall, but that hasn’t happened, Macina said.

Lack of demand for the switches is the main reason insurance companies aren’t pulling the $16 to $40 annual discounts, Macina said.

Since air bags were developed in the late 1980s, NHTSA figures 2,474 lives have been saved by them. About 80 million passenger cars in the United States have air bags, according to NHTSA.

Of the 87 confirmed deaths due to air bags, almost all occurred in low-speed collisions involving small women or children not wearing seat belts. Most of them were too close to the dashboard, according to the NHTSA Web site.

Even though customers must sign a waiver absolving the dealer of liability, numerous dealers and mechanics in Spokane and North Idaho said they still won’t do it.

“If you really want to, you can find a lawyer out there somewhere to fight it, no matter what the wording says (on the waiver),” said Bruce Kincaid of Auto Specialty Center in Spokane.

, DataTimes MEMO: This sidebar appeared with the story: Who can use them? Those considered eligible for air bag switches include: People with medical conditions that could be worsened by an air bag deploying; People who can not adjust their seats or posture to be at least 10 inches away from the steering wheel; Infants less than a year old who must ride in the front seat to be constantly monitored by a parent; Children ages 1 to 12 who must ride in the front because the vehicle has no back seat.

This sidebar appeared with the story: Who can use them? Those considered eligible for air bag switches include: People with medical conditions that could be worsened by an air bag deploying; People who can not adjust their seats or posture to be at least 10 inches away from the steering wheel; Infants less than a year old who must ride in the front seat to be constantly monitored by a parent; Children ages 1 to 12 who must ride in the front because the vehicle has no back seat.