Out-of-position drivers are at risk from air bags if they are extremely close to the air bag at time of deployment. While any driver could potentially become out of position, small statured drivers are more likely to become out of position because they sit closer to the steering wheel than larger drivers.
In order to address the risks air bags pose to out-of-position drivers, NHTSA is proposing requirements using 5th percentile adult female dummies. The agency is proposing three alternative test requirements, the selection of which would be at the option of the manufacturer.
The manufacturer options are similar to those using 3-year-old and 6-year-old child dummies, with one significant exception. Since air bags provide safety benefits to small statured female drivers, it is obviously not appropriate to permit manufacturers to suppress air bag deployment under all conditions in the presence of such occupants. Therefore, this type of suppression feature would not be permitted for 5th percentile adult female dummies.
The three manufacturer options being proposed by the agency are: (1) test requirements for an air bag suppression feature that suppresses the driver air bag when the driver is out of position, (2) test requirements for low risk deployment involving deployment of the air bag in the presence of out-of-position 5th percentile adult female dummies, and (3) full scale dynamic out-of-position test requirements, which include pre-impact braking as part of the test procedure.
Again, the manufacturer options which the agency is proposing largely mirror the similar ones being proposed for 3-year-old and 6-year old child dummies. The test procedures are adjusted to reflect the driver, rather than the right front passenger position, and the different dummy. The proposed injury criteria are the same as being proposed for other tests using the 5th percentile adult female dummy.
The agency also notes that the option specifying test requirements for an air bag suppression feature that suppresses the driver air bag when an occupant is out of position would include both static tests and tests using a moving test device. The static tests are needed to, among other things, ensure that the driver air bag is not inappropriately deactivated because the driver's arms are near the air bag. Further details on this alternative test procedure are set forth in the proposed regulatory text (see proposed S25.2, S27 and S28 for Standard No. 208).
The agency also notes that the proposed full scale dynamic out-of-position test requirements, which include pre-impact braking as part of the test procedure, represent a surrogate for a variety of crash situations where the driver might be essentially against the steering wheel, in addition to directly addressing situations involving pre-crash braking. These other situations include ones where small-statured persons drive in a position where they are extremely close to the air bag all of the time.
