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Statement of Need: As part of NHTSA's program to mitigate adverse effects of current-design air bags, the agency has stated that the next step in the evolution of air bags would be systems that automatically prevent those effects. As of July 1, 1997, the agency was aware of 40 children and 30 adults who had been killed by current air bags. The agency has already required warning labels on all new air-bag-equipped vehicles, permitted depowered air bags and participated in public programs to increase safety belt and child restraint use, to reduce fatalities. This program will pursue the next step: advanced, interactive restraint systems.

Summary of the Legal Basis: Section 30111, Title 49 of the United States Code, states that the Secretary shall prescribe motor vehicle safety standards. Authority to prescribe such standards is delegated to the Administrator by 49 CFR 501.2.

Alternatives: The agency is participating with motor vehicle manufacturers, equipment suppliers, the insurance industry, and academia, through the Advanced Air Bag Technology Working Group of NHTSA's Motor Vehicle Research Advisory Committee. The agency is utilizing the resources of this partnership in identifying alternatives for this proposed rulemaking process. Moreover, the agency has joined with the National Aeronautics and Space Administration in a comprehensive state-of-the-art assessment for near-term air bag technology. We anticipate that these partnerships will lead to a comprehensive identification of options to promote future air bag technology.

Anticipated Costs and Benefits: The potential costs and benefits of this action have not yet been determined.

Risks: Air bags have been shown to substantially reduce fatalities in traffic accidents. When fully implemented, NHTSA estimates that air bags will save 3,000 lives per year and result in about 34,000 fewer moderate-to critical injuries. However, almost all current air bags deploy the same way for all occupants, regardless of their size or location at the time of deployment, and for all crashes above a deployment threshold, regardless of their severity. As a result, there have been some adult and child fatalities. Therefore, the development and introduction of advanced air bags is being pursued aggressively by both the industry and the agency.