Summary of influences that led to introduction of frontal airbags on US passenger vehicles

Abstract

Objective

The history of airbags for occupant protection in frontal crashes is reviewed from the perspective of a former Senior Executive at NHTSA from the early 1970’s to the late 1980’s. This paper summarizes the factors that led to regulatory delays as well as those that led to voluntary adoption of airbags by several manufacturers.

Methods

The regulatory history and interactions with airbag suppliers and vehicle manufactures is recounted citing key steps in the evolution of frontal airbags.

Results

When the Advanced Notice of Proposed Rulemaking for Standard 208, “Occupant Protection” was issued on July 2, 1969 the Safety Agency anticipated that the industry response would provide automatic frontal crash protection from airbags that deployed to protect all front seat occupants from injury in severe frontal crashes. It was not until, September 1, 1998 that airbags were required in all cars and light trucks. The interim 29 years involved a series of stops and starts during which most of the original airbag suppliers lost interest and abandoned the airbag market. The issues associated with airbags and their place in Standard 208 were directly influenced by interventions from the President, the Congress, the Supreme Court, Secretaries of Transportation, NHTSA Administrators, the Presidents of US Auto Companies and Senior Executives of Insurance Companies.

Conclusion

In 1966, there was support from the US auto industry for a single source of safety regulations that apply to new vehicles sold in the US. This is evidenced by the unanimous passage by the House of Representatives and Senate of the Law that created the Federal auto safety regulatory framework. The Law also required seatbelts in new cars and prohibited States from making separate safety rules. However, the large safety benefits offered by seatbelts were negated because they were rarely used. Consequently, finding ways of providing high levels of protection without requiring action by occupants became a goal of the new Safety Agency. The airbag offered the possibility of achieving that goal.

From the initial airbag notice of proposed rulemaking on July 2, 1969, Safety Agency required 2 years to resolve objections before a final Standard 208 could be issued (on July 8,1971). The subsequent industry opposition to the Standard 208 employed Presidential influence and Court suits to cause a 5½ year delay until the Coleman Decision on December 6, 1976. Changes in regulatory approach of the Ford, Carter, and Reagan Administrations and associated Court suits caused another 7½ year delay until the Dole Decision on July 17, 1984. It required another 7 ½, until December 18, 1991, for market forces to reduce industry opposition to airbags and permit Congress to pass a law that mandated them. Another 6½ years of lead time was required before all cars and light trucks were required to meet the airbag standard. During the mid and late 1980’s vehicle safety ratings, seatbelt use laws, and Vince and Larry PSA’s had all acted to increase safety awareness and safety belt use. Consequently, added public demand for vehicle safety features slowly developed. Changes in economic incentives encouraged a number of vehicle lines to install driver airbags as standard equipment and the feature was being widely advertised by Chrysler. This combination of events made it possible for Congress to pass and President Bush 41 to sign legislation requiring airbags in cars and light trucks by September 1, 1998 – more than 29 years after the initial rulemaking notice in 1969.

Keywords:

• Airbag; airbelt; NCAP; frontal crash; passive protection; safety regulation; market forces

Acknowledgements

The author acknowledges and appreciates the assistance of the Automotive Safety Research Institute, a non-profit research organization, for providing library materials that document events related to airbag history. This paper has not been reviewed or approved by the NHTSA and does not represent any position of that agency. The views are those of the author, who served as a Senior Executive at the NHTSA between March 1975 and July 1989. Most of his service was as Director of the Office of Vehicle Safety Research, with duties that included conducting the NHTSA research required to support airbag rulemaking. He served as Associate Administrator for NHTSA research in 1981 and Associate Administrator for Rulemaking in 1983. In the latter office he was responsible for briefing Secretary Dole on research and rulemaking issues related to Standard 208. He accompanied Administrator Claybrook on visits to European and Asian auto manufacturers to provide resource information on people involved and issues discussed. In 1989 he accompanied newly appointed Administrator Currey on visits to European auto manufacturers to provide resource information on the people involved and issues discussed.

Many thanks for the contributions of David Viano, Priya Prasad, and Richard Morgan for providing information and comments to improve the history reported in the paper.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Additional information

Funding

The author(s) reported there is no funding associated with the work featured in this article.