New cars and trucks will “have larger and stronger side air bags to prevent motorists from being tossed out of their vehicles in rollover crashes.” (K Thomas, AP, 1/31).
The Transportation Department says the new requirements aim to protect motorists in rollovers as more than 8,000 people were killed in rollovers in 2009.
As a car and truck accident attorney, I am excited about the Transportation Department's prediction that “the changes to the air bags are expected to prevent nearly 400 deaths and nearly 500 serious injuries every year.”
Car manufactures will phase in the changes beginning in 2013 and all new cars must have the new air bags by 2018.