The other thread listing the 6 least-safe cars for 2006 brought side curtain airbags to my thoughts again...

Everything I've read on the subject basically shows dramatic safety enhancement when the vehicle is equiped with them.

Since many models offer them as options, there have been tests of identical models, but one with and one without the curtain airbags... again, dramatic results in favor of the airbags.

My question... are side-curtain airbags scheduled to become mandatory standard equipment? If so, when?

 

I haven't heard anything about them becoming mandatory although I'm sure NHTSA would love that. That said, I suspect you are going to see them included on more and more vehicles and getting a vehicle without them is going to get more and more difficult (you'll often see them "packaged" with other options so that you want a sunroof, for example, you'll have to take the side air-bags as well).

Personally, I don't like them but then, I don't like air bags in general anyway for a number of reasons - I'd much rather see really good seats and seat belts any day (of coruse the public would never stand for the inconvenience).

Side air-bags are "safer" but they aren't cheep and they aren't weightless either...I hope the public continues to have a choice about including them.

 

I haven't heard of them becoming mandatory ... yet.

 

I've got em in my truck as well as my Magnum.

 

Ever since I almost got T-boned in my Fox Mustang about 8 years ago by a pair of high speed red light running yahoos in a raised pickup truck, and again by yet another high speed light runner in Vegas last year, again by a pair of retarded inbreds in a pickup, I see the wisdom in side airbags and far stronger side impact standards.

To some this may sound like some liberal anti-automotive killjoy nonsense, but put your son or your 3 year old daughter in the car with you when these things happen, let alone the prospect of living the rest of your life being able to do little more than blink and fill bed pans, and that puts things into perspective very quickly.

 

I agree.

I am all for the law of diminishing returns... ie, don't add $5000 worth of equipment for something of minimal value... BUT... from EVERYTHING I've read on the subject... side curtain airbags have a MAJOR impact of the crashworthiness of a vehicle.

We have a 2006 Envoy SLT and the 2006 Grand Prix GXP... both offer side curtain airbags as options...... I swore I would not get a vehicle without them, but unless I was basically willing to order the car, and wait it out (which is hard to do when working with lease windows, and also incentives that change every 2 weeks) I was screwed, because the dealer didn't have a model I wanted with them, and couldn't even find one on another dealer lot within 100 miles.

 

Sounds instead like we should outlaw inbreds from driving pickups.

 

Or maybe we need driver's training that does more than show movies, teaches people how to park and perhaps teaches people better emergency moves than just slamming on the brakes, closing your eyes and hoping for the best. Couple that with some real punishment when people are stupid enough to race on the street and run red lights and maybe things will get safer for everyone.

It seems lately that a lot more people think a red light is just a "suggestion".

All the air-bags in the world can't protect you from the truly stupid and incompetant drivers out there. Just my $0.02

 

Of course, on one of our favorite topics, that is, the weight of our beloved new Camaro, the side airbags will have a negative effect.

 

For $350 it was worth getting in my truck. I'd never buy a car without side air bags. The difference they make is a side impact is amazing. Especially in smaller cars.