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

To Save a Life is not an OptionAs America has progressed with the years, its citizens overhear grown to a greater extent and more conscientious about their health and safety, and through science and technology have designed some things to be safer and addition 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 life style rather than an unhealthy one. Cigarettes put deep holes in pockets, and fines keep masses 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(prenominal) as anti-lock brakes and place airbags, safety features should no longer be an option on automobiles, but standards. Over 9,000 deaths are caused by spatial relation of meat impact passenger vehicle accidents in America every year. (IIHS) wad tests conducted by the institute have shown great potential for side airbags, in particular for protection in smaller vehicles existence hit from the side by larger vehicles such as SUVs which are becoming very prevalent these days. Side airbags that include headroom protection are reducing deaths by about 45 percent among drivers of passenger cars struck on the climb up (driver) side, claims the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety. The effectiveness of head protecting side airbags is a 53% decrease 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 passengers head from protruding objects such as trees, poles or opposite vehicles causing far more deaths or permanent injury than if the head were protected. (IIHS) Side airbags are available on 40 percent of 2003 prototype 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(prenominal) 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.