Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards; Occupant Crash Protection

Résumé

Air bags are now standard equipment in millions of passenger cars, light trucks, sport utility vehicles, and vans and widely regarded to be a noteworthy safety advance, especially in higher speed crashes. However, air bags--even air bags with a lap/shoulder belt being used--are not a cure-all for every type of injury in crashes. The agency is aware of situations in which current air bag designs have undesired side effects. These include situations in which an air bag appears to have contributed to serious injuries and even death to vehicle occupants. This document is intended to inform the public about NHTSA's actions to minimize these adverse side effects and to invite the public to share information and views with the agency.