----- Original Message -----
From: "Phil Ethier" <pethier@isd.net>
> >> Why not ban airbags?
> >> -Katie Kelly
>
> > Kinda defeats the concept of Stock.
>
> True. There is scant precedent for mandating changes to stock cars.
There
> is not a complete absence of precedent, though. Cars delivered without
lap
> belts must have them installed. Certain cars with swing-axle suspensions
> are required to have suspension modifications.
In this case, though, banning airbags would be next-to-impossible for cars
that, unlike most Showroom Stock road racers, spend most of their lives on
the street. They're part of the federally-mandated safety equipment in most
cars that have them, and the NHTSA makes it very difficult to get permission
to legally remove or disable an airbag. The consequences of doing so on the
sly can be pretty stiff -- at the least, any insurance company will probably
be able to cancel medical (and maybe all) coverage for a car that's had the
bag removed. At worst, if someone other than the person who removed the bag
is injured in an accident, there could be criminal charges. Sounds silly,
but we've all seen sillier things happen.
Of course, if we *did* ban airbags in Stock, it might solve the "car of the
moment" problem -- there would be a run on pre-1992 cars....
Jamie
'92 Prelude Si (wonder if I can find my '84 and buy it back?)
Speed Demon Racing
http://www.mindspring.com/~jsculerati/sdr
|