Hard evidence needed...

that the driver's side airbag is or is not a hazard to a rearward facing child seat in the center position in a 2-door pickup truck.

For reasons that take too long to go into, I was wondering if anyone has institutional, verifiable evidence that the driver's side airbag in a 2001 Dodge Ram 1500 regular cab presents a significant hazard to a child in the center seat position who is properly seated in a rearward facing child seat.

The IIHS and NHSTA sites only talk about child seats in the passenger position (at least from what I could discern) with no mention of the center position; I need to know whether or not I need to disable the driver's side airbag as well.

I am well aware that the safest place for a child seat is in the back seat of a vehicle. I am also aware that my truck does not have one. What I do have is a tether point in the middle and no clear indication that the driver's side airbag will impact the baby seat.

Also, if anyone has another forum where I could post a similar query, please let me know.

TIA,

-Phil Crow

Reply to
phildcrowNOSPAM
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I have no such data. However, company I was working for was working on occupant sensor to control when bag deployed. Problem with rear facing child seat was that acceleration given to seat by bag would bang child's head against backrest at sufficient Gs to cause injury. The kid seats in most cars would not be far from bags.

Reply to
Don Stauffer

Install an airbag disable switch. Google it.

b.

Reply to
<barry

I would try Dodge direct and ask for the inflated dimensions of the air bag or maybe track down the maker's name and ask them direct. The info should be easy to find. Those and a tape measure would resolve the question pretty fast.

It's a good question too.... Airbags even kill short drivers.

Mike

86/00 CJ7 Laredo, 33x9.5 BFG Muds, 'glass nose to tail >
Reply to
Mike Romain

============ ============

Phil, the eng. size and if tranny is auto or manual would be helpfull. The following is NOT airbag related, but interesting. I'm still checking TSBs, so more may follow.

~:~ MarshMonster ~:~

November 2000

Safety Recall No. 957 - Owner's Manual Addendum

Models

IMPORTANT: Some of the involved vehicles may be in dealer new vehicle inventory. Federal law requires you to stop sale and complete this recall service on these vehicles before retail delivery. Dealers should also consider this requirement to apply to used vehicle inventory and should perform this recall on vehicles in for service. Involved vehicles can be determined by using the DIAL VIP System.

Subject

The owners manual supplied with about 1,210,000 of the above vehicles may have omitted certain information required under Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) No. 225, which relates to child restraint anchorage systems. Federal regulations require that some specific instructions be provided in the owner's manual to ensure that a child restraint system tether strap is properly attached and to identify the seat positions that have tether anchorages.

Repair

Owner's manual addendum cards are being mailed directly to all owners known to DaimlerChrysler with the owner notification letter. The owners are requested to insert the card into their owner's manual. Dealers must insert a copy of the correct addendum card into each affected unsold vehicle in dealer inventory before retail delivery.

Parts Information

Each dealer to whom vehicles in the recall were invoiced (or the current dealer at the same street address) will receive enough Owner's Manual Addendum Cards to service 100% of their UNSOLD vehicles.

Dealers should determine which addendum card is required for each vehicle by:

Reply to
Marsh Monster

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There were no other pertinent TSBs or Recalls listed that would apply to the topic.

here's a link that's on topic........

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~:~ MarshMonster ~:~

Reply to
Marsh Monster

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A good Dodge forum would be...... alt.autos.dodge.trucks

knowledgeable bunch of credents in that room.

~:~ MarshMonster ~hopes you have thick skin.....~

Reply to
Marsh Monster

Okay, Marsh. 2001 Dodge Ram 1500 3.8L V-6 automatic transmission.

8-foot bed. Um, tilt steering, cruise, 16" chrome wheels, and sliding glass were the options.

Better to have it and not need it, right?

Thanks.

-Phil Crow

Reply to
phildcrowNOSPAM

Friend's daughter was recently involved in an accident where the airbag deployed. The young lady sustained a pretty severe cut to her leg, but came out pretty well, all in all.

The airbag abraded a lot of skin off her, which was in itself pretty severe. Despite the fact that an airbag can hurt you, I guess it is proven that they save lives too.

Someone told me that the designers have modified the pressurization on the bags to make them tamer in later model cars. Maybe someone here know if that is true.

Reply to
<HLS

I don't get your point....

It injured her you say. So that little fender bender ding that most would walk away from with a cuss word or two turned into an injury accident.

She is lucky. Last year one of those killed a Toronto woman. Broke her neck if I remember right. The cops figured she would have walked away with no injury otherwise.

Mike

86/00 CJ7 Laredo, 33x9.5 BFG Muds, 'glass nose to tail in '00 88 Cherokee 235 BFG AT's Canadian Off Road Trips Photos: Non members can still view! Jan/06
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Reply to
Mike Romain

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