THERE IS BROAD SUPPORT FOR AIR BAGS, 

DESPITE SAFETY CONCERNS

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration

(NHTSA) conducts a national telephone survey

approximately every two years to monitor the

public’s attitudes, knowledge, and self-reported

behavior regarding occupant protection devices

(safety belts, child restraints, air bags). The 2003

survey consisted of two questionnaires, each

administered to a randomly selected sample of about

6,000 persons age 16 and older. Interviewing ran

from January 8, 2003 to March 30, 2003.

More Than Three Out Of Four Primary Vehicles

Have Air Bags

The percentage of drivers with air bags in their

primary vehicles has continued to increase. In 2003,

77 percent reported air bags in their primary vehicles,

compared to 67% in late 2000. Usually the vehicle

had an air bag in front of both the driver and front

seat passenger (63 percent) as opposed to driver only

(12 percent). Seven percent of vehicles had air bags

in other locations within the vehicle as well. Some

persons were unsure as to the presence or location of

air bags in their motor vehicles.

Qx: Does the (car/truck/van) you normally drive have an air bag?

Base: Drivers whose primary vehicle is not a motorcycle

Preference For Air Bags

Most of the public (* 87 percent) said they would 

prefer to have air bags in their next vehicle, and

another 4 percent were unsure. The percentage has

been steadily rising since 1996, when the question

was first asked. In 1996, 72 percent said they would

prefer air bags in their next vehicle.

Qx: Would you prefer that your next vehicle have driver air bags only, driver

and passenger air bags, or no air bags?

Base: Total Population Age 16+

* The percentages in the figure are rounded

More than half the population (53 percent) said they

felt safer in motor vehicles with air bags than in

motor vehicles without air bags. Most others said

they felt about the same (38 percent). Five percent

felt less safe and 4 percent were unsure. Nearly ninein-ten persons believed an air bag would provide

either a lot (36 percent) or some (53 percent)

protection in a crash involving major motor vehicle

damage.

Number 297 June 2005

U.S. Department of Transportation 400 Seventh St., SW., Washington, D.C. 20590

National Highway Traffic Safety Administration

Air Bags in Primary Vehicle 1994-2003

100%

80%

60%

40%

20%

0% 1994 1996 1998 2000 2003

100%

50%

0%

1996 1998 2000 2003

Prefer Air Bags on Next Vehicle 1996-2003
Air Bags Do Not Substitute For Safety Belt Use

Air bags and safety belts are two parts of a vehicle’s

passenger safety system. Safety experts emphasize

that drivers and passengers should always wear their

safety belts, regardless of whether or not the vehicle

contains an air bag. The overwhelming majority of

the public (95 percent) knew that the presence of air

bags does not substitute for safety belt use. The

percentage was slightly higher among drivers who

had air bags in their motor vehicles (97 percent).

Also, reported belt use was higher among drivers

having air bags in their primary vehicles: 85 percent

said they used safety belts “all the time” while

driving as opposed to 80 percent of drivers not

having air bags.

Safety Concerns About Air Bags

Even though 87 percent of the public would prefer an

air bag in their next vehicle, many (43 percent) still

expressed concerns about the safety of air bags.

Females (47 percent) were more likely to have safety

concerns than were males (37 percent). When asked

what concerns they had, the respondents tended to

refer specifically to injuries from air bags, or else

describe some functional characteristic of the air bag

that they considered a safety issue. Many of those

having concerns explicitly mentioned injuries to

children (26 percent) or to adults (37 percent).

Likelihood Of Injury

The majority of the public believed that an adult

sitting in the front seat would somewhat likely or

very likely be injured by an air bag that deployed in a

normal manner. However, they were more likely to

believe that an injury would occur if the adult was

unbelted (78 percent) rather than wearing a safety

belt (53 percent). Children were considered

particularly vulnerable to injury from air bags, with

85 percent believing a small child sitting in the front

seat would very likely (64 percent) or somewhat

likely (21 percent) be injured by an air bag opening

normally.

Car Seats

The 2003 survey asked a detailed set of child car seat

questions to a sub-sample of parents of children

under age 9, and non-parents living with children

under age 9 who at least sometimes drove with those

children. The questions were asked of those

members of the sub-sample for whom a specific child

was identified that was using a child car seat. Almost

all (99 percent) knew that the back seat is the safest

place in the vehicle to place a child’s car seat. Yet, 6

percent still usually placed the car seat in the front.

The percentage dropped to 3 percent if the

respondent’s primary vehicle had a passenger frontal

air bag. Most (92 percent) knew that it was unsafe to

place a rear-facing car seat in the front seat of a

motor vehicle having a passenger air bag. However,

3 percent erroneously believed it was safe and 4

percent were unsure.

HOW TO ORDER

For a copy of 2003 Motor Vehicle Occupant Safety

Survey (Volume III: Air Bags Report) write to the

Office of Research and Technology, NHTSA, NTI130, 400 Seventh Street, S.W., Washington, DC

20590 or send a fax to (202) 366-7096 or download

www.nhtsa.dot.gov. 

U.S. Department of Transportation

National Highway 

Traffic Safety Administration

400 Seventh Street, SW. NTI-130

Washington, DC 20590

TRAFFIC TECH is a publication to

disseminate information about traffic safety

programs, including evaluations,

innovative programs, and new publications.

Feel free to copy it as you wish. 

If you would like to receive a copy, contact 

Patty Ellison-Potter. Ph.D., Editor, 

fax (202)366-7096, e-mail: 

Patricia.Ellison-Potter@nhtsa.dot.gov