Air bags – National (continued)

"Danforth Assails Roadblocks to Air Bags"

"Stressing that he has virtually 'given up' hope of the Reagan Administration ordering automatic restraints in autos, U.S. Senator Jack Danforth has vowed to fight for legislation to make air bags in cars mandatory if the Department of Transportation fails to move on its own soon.

In a September 13 Senate Surface Transportation Subcommittee hearing, Chairman Danforth, Missouri Republican, said:

'Last year, over 46,000 people were killed in traffic accidents. Hundreds of thousands more were injured. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has one job and one job only – to stop the slaughter on our highways.

'I am deeply concerned that the present administration has lost sight of this singular objective, and I am committed to doing everything in my power to get it back on the right track.'

Others testifying in support of an air bag requirement were...Rosemary Shahan, president of the CARS Foundation, a California group interested in auto safety. Shahan testified that her group had successfully fought for a 'lemon law' in California and would now, with other organizations, seek state legislation requiring air bag-equipped cars be made available to consumers.

'There's a growing sense in California that it's not okay to bail the [auto] industry out with blood,' said Shahan."

– Insurance Institute for Highway Safety Status Report,
September 20, 1983