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AAP News Vol. 13 No. 11 November 1997, p. 4 © 1997 American Academy of Pediatrics
Pediatricians should anticipate getting questions from parents about deactivating their car's air bags as a result of new rules to be issued by the federal government. Car owners currently must petition the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) for permission to deactivate an air bag. In response to an outcry over deaths caused by the deployment of air bags in low-speed crashes, earlier this year NHTSA issued a proposed rule allowing deactivation of air bags on consumer demand. At press time, NHTSA was expected to release the final rule by mid-October. Several media reports speculated the final rule would allow installation of an air bag on-off switch instead of permitting car owners to disconnect their air bags permanently.
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