Air Bags Come With Warning Safety Devices Can Be Deadly For Children And Small Adults

The three major American carmakers agreed Friday to warn customers that air bags, which have become standard safety equipment on almost every car and truck, also can be dangerous, especially for children.

General Motors, Ford and Chrysler also agreed to sell less-powerful air bags in Canada, though not in the United States, where federal regulations will not permit them.

The announcement, made through the industry’s major trade association, comes amid growing pressure on the carmakers and federal regulators after passenger-side air bags caused the deaths of at least 28 children since 1991 - with several more suspected - and 19 adults, mostly small women. Most of those killed were not wearing seat belts or were wearing them improperly and were too close to the air bags, which deploy in a fraction of a second at up to 200 mph, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Association.

“Air bags and safety belts save lives,” the announcement said, “but, for children, air bags can be deadly.”

The carmakers agreed to send letters to 22 million car owners and to post more warnings in their vehicles. Exact wording of the letters and warnings will be up to each carmaker - at least until the safety association decides on whether to issue rules now under consideration requiring the warning labels.

Current air bags deploy with equal force regardless of the size of the person to be protected and regardless of the severity of the crash. Safety experts say they often deploy when they are not needed or with much more force than is needed.

U.S. regulations require air bags be able to prevent serious injuries to a 165-pound man who is not wearing a seat belt in a 30-mph crash into a wall.

Because almost 70 percent of Americans now routinely wear seat belts in cars, U.S. car manufacturers have proposed being allowed to install less powerful bags, but U.S. regulators have so far been reluctant to change the rules.