Therefore, although depowered bags provide more protection for smaller passengers, they are less effective for average and large adults. Initially, the plan was to permit the switch only in vehicles without a back seat. Even before this ruling, some owners have taken it upon themselves to disconnect the air bag. Indeed, this has blossomed into a cottage industry in some areas of the United States, because not all car owners have the technical know-how to disable the air bag themselves. However, a deactivated air bag will not pass vehicle inspection in many states.
Some automakers already have systems in place that make air bags safer.
For example, Mercedes Benz in Montvale, N.J., has a dual-threshold system that considers not only how severe the crash is but also whether the passenger is wearing a seat belt. If the crash happens below the lower threshold, the air bag will not deploy. Between the two thresholds, the bag deploys if the passenger isn't wearing a seat belt, but it won't deploy if the passenger is belted. The bag deploys regardless of seat-belt status if the crash occurs above the upper threshold. Mercedes has also introduced a feature in some vehicles called BabySmart, which is intended to protect babies from air bags.