To Save a Life is not an Option :: Essays Papers

To Save a Life is not an Option As America has progressed through the years, its citizens have grown more and more conscientious about their health and safety, and through science and technology have designed many things to be safer and increase health for little money. Laws have been passed so that health may be maintained and in many cases it is cheaper to live a healthy lifestyle rather than an unhealthy one. Cigarettes put deep holes in pockets, and fines keep people from not wearing their seatbelt, yet despite the low cost of many safety advances made for automobiles, consumers are still forced to pay more for safety features in cars. With the low cost of manufacturing and installing safety features such as anti-lock brakes and side airbags, safety features should no longer be an option on automobiles, but standards. Over 9,000 deaths are caused by side impact passenger vehicle accidents in America every year. (IIHS) Crash tests conducted by the institute have shown great potential for side airbags, especially for protection in smaller vehicles being hit from the side by larger vehicles such as SUVs which are becoming very popular these days. â€Å"Side airbags that include head protection are reducing deaths by about 45 percent among drivers of passenger cars struck on the near (driver) side,† claims the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety. The effectiveness of head protecting side airbags is a 53% reduction in risk of two-vehicle accidents and an estimated 74% reduction when a smaller vehicle is struck in the side by a larger vehicle. Without side airbags, the is no protection for a passenger’s head from protruding objects such as trees, poles or other vehicles causing far more deaths or permanent injury than if the head were protected. (IIHS) Side airbags are available on 40 percent of 2003 model passenger vehicles, 16 percent on which they are optional. (IIHS) The option of side airbags for different manufacturers varies in cost; for Chevrolet it is a $400 option, for Ford it is a $300 option and for Honda it is a $250 option. Using the Chevrolet Malibu as an example as a side airbag optional vehicle, side crash tests show much better results for the Malibu with side airbags. On a scale of 1-4, 4 being the best, in a side collision test, the Malibu with side airbags received a 3 while the Malibu without side airbags received a 1.