The debate over whether to test the new advanced airbags at 25 or 30 mph is now being argued in federal court. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration's decision to run tests at 25 mph is opposed by The Trauma Foundation, Public Citizen and the Center for Auto Safety. They argue that most fatal crashes happen at speeds of 30 mph and above and that it is more realistic to design airbags to function properly at that speed or higher. Proponents of the decision say testing them at 25 mph permits airbags to be designed with lower power levels, which will reduce injuries and death from inflated airbags. Deaths from such incidents have dropped dramatically since they began to be lower power in the mid to late 1990s. The Institute for Highway Safety sides with NHTSA, saying that the current method of testing involves a crash that is already much more severe than the typical crash because decelerations are much faster. The Institute is concerned that higher powered airbags needed to pass the 30 mph test will pose a greater danger. (Author/publisher)
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