Most Seeking Air Bag Switches Sit Close To Steering Wheel Hub

The majority of people seeking permission for an on-off switch for an auto air bag are drivers who say they sit too close to the steering wheel hub, where the air bag deploys, according to government records.

Starting today, auto owners can go to dealers and independent mechanics to have the switches installed.

General Motors Corp. and Ford Motor Co. are offering the switches - which are retrofitted for autos already on the road - through their dealerships. Other major automakers - such as Toyota, Honda and Chrysler - say they will have them later this year.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has approved about 5,000 requests for the cutoff switches. Some 6,850 people have applied for them, and the rest of the applications are being processed.

So far, the requests have not reached the huge numbers initially feared by automakers, who lobbied to restrict who could apply.

Of those approved for the switches, 57 percent want driver-side switches, 19 percent want passenger-side switches and 24 percent want both driver and passenger switches, according to the traffic administration’s records.