U.S. Department of Transportation

National Highway Traffic Safety Administration Printed on recycled paper

TRAFFIC TECH

Technology Transfer Series

Number 272 April 2002

DRIVERS WHO HAVE AIR BAGS ARE MORE LIKELY 

TO WEAR THEIR SEAT BELTS TOO

Every two years, the National Highway Traffic

Safety Administration (NHTSA) conducts a national

telephone survey to monitor the public's attitudes

about seat belts, child safety seats, air bags, and other

occupant protection topics. The 2000 survey consisted

of two questionnaires, each given to a randomly

selected sample of about 6,000 persons age 16 and

older for a total of about 12,000. Interviewing ran

from November 8, 2000 through January 21, 2001.

Two out of Three Drivers have Air Bags

! The percentage of drivers with air bags in their

primary vehicles has continued to increase. In

2000, 67 percent reported air bags in their primary

vehicles, compared to 53 percent in late 1998. 

Only 5 percent of drivers reported having side air

bags in the vehicle they drive most often.

! Most of the public (82%) would prefer air bags in

their next vehicle, compared to 5% who are not

sure and 13% who would prefer not to have them.

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

passenger safety system. Safety experts

emphasize that drivers and passengers should

always wear their seat belts, regardless of whether

or not the vehicle contains an air bag. The

overwhelming majority (94%) know that air bags

are not a substitute for seat belts.

! Drivers who wore their seat belts sometimes or

rarely/never were more likely to say (incorrectly)

that seat belts do not need to be worn when an air

bag is present.

! Reported all-the-time seat belt use is higher in

vehicles equipped with air bags (85%) compared

to vehicles that do not have an air bag (80%).

Minimum Speed for Air Bag Deployment

There was no consensus among the public about the

minimum speed at which air bags deploy (the

change in crash velocity necessary for an air bag to

deploy can vary based on the make, model, and year

of a vehicle). Their estimates of impact speed for

deployment spread fairly evenly from less than 6

mph to over 40 mph. Three in ten said they did not

know the minimum speed for deployment.

Location of Impact and Air Bag Deployment

Most of the public were aware that air bags deploy

in front-end impacts. The overwhelming majority

(86%) believed air bags would deploy if the vehicle

were hit from the front at a moderate speed.

However, half of the public age 16 and older 

incorrectly thought air bags would deploy if hit from

the rear.

Safety Concerns

Even though 82% of the public would prefer an air

bag in their next vehicle, many (46%) still expressed
TRAFFIC TECH

U.S. Department 

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Traffic Safety 

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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:

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fax (202) 366-7096

EMAIL: lcosgrove@nhtsa.dot.gov

concerns about injuries possible from air bags. The

concerns were equally divided among concern about

injuries from air bags to children (30%), to adults

(29%), and other technical issues (35%) such as

speed of deployment and release of chemicals.

Likelihood of Injury 

Drivers were divided on whether they thought they

would be injured in a crash involving major vehicle

damage if they were in an air bag equipped vehicle. 

Nearly half (45%) felt injury was unlikely with air

bags. More than one third (36%) felt injuries were

likely in such a crash even with air bags. A fairly

large proportion said they weren’t sure (14%) or it

depends on other factors (5%). 

Youth and young adults were more likely than older

drivers to believe they would be injured if they were

in a crash in an air bag equipped vehicle. Nearly half

of drivers ages 16-20 (48%) believed it is likely they

would be injured, with the percentage decreasing

steadily across successive driver age groups until

reaching 28% for drivers 65 or older.

All respondents were asked what they thought was

the likelihood that, when an air bag deploys

normally: 1) an adult sitting in the front seat would be

injured by the air bag; and 2) a small child sitting in

the front seat would be injured by the air bag. Over

half (52%) believed it either somewhat likely (38%)

or very likely (14%) that an adult would be injured by

an air bag. The majority (59%) thought that it was

very likely that a small child would be injured by an

air bag. Eight in ten (81%) people believed it was

either somewhat likely or very likely a small child

sitting in the front seat would be injured by an air bag

opening normally. 

Feeling Safer with Air Bags

Despite some concerns about air bag safety, nearly

half (48%) said they felt safer in vehicles with air

bags compared to 7% who said they felt less safe. 

Forty percent said they felt about as safe with air

bags as without them.

Car Seats 

The 2000 survey asked a detailed set of child car

seat questions to a subgroup of parents of children

under age 9, or non-parents living with children

under age 9 who at least sometimes drove with those

children.

! The overwhelming majority (97%) of this

subgroup knew that the back seat is the safest

part of the vehicle to place a child’s car seat. 

Nonetheless, 6% still usually placed the child in

the front seat when they drove. 

! Drivers were more likely to place car seats in the

front seat if their primary vehicle did not have an

air bag. About 4% of those having air bags said

they usually place the car seat in the front seat. 

By contrast, 9% of those without any air bags

said they put the car seat in the front.

! Most (92%) said it was unsafe to place a rearfacing car seat in the front seat of a vehicle

having passenger-side air bags. However 4%

erroneously believed it was safe to do so, and

another 4% said they were not sure if it was safe

or not.

HOW TO ORDER

For a copy of 2000 Motor Vehicle Occupant Safety Survey

Volume 3 Air Bag Report, (49 pages) prepared by Schulman,

Ronca & Bucuvales, Inc. write to the Office of Research and

Traffic Records, NHTSA, NTS-31, 400 Seventh Street, S.W.,

Washington, DC 20590 or send a fax to (202) 366-7096 or

download the report from www.nhtsa.dot.gov