U.S  AUTO AGENCY GRANTS FORD <F> AIR BAG REQUEST
The National Highway Transportation
Safety Administration said it granted a request by Ford Motor
Co to delay for four years until 1994 a requirement that air
bags or other passive restraint systems be installed on the
passenger side of the front seat of all new autombiles.
    Under the decision announced today by Transportation
Secretary Elizabeth Dole, automakers will be required to meet
federal passive restraint requirements only on the driver's
side. "The action we are taking today will result in the
installation of more air bags, sooner than would have occurred
without this rule," Dole said.
    Under the ruling announced today, 10 pct of model year 1987
cars must have automatic seat belts or air bags on the driver's
side. For the 1988 model year, 25 pct must have passive
restraints, and for 1989, 40 pct must be so equipped.
    By the 1990 model year, all new cars must be equipped with
passive restraint systems on the driver's side.
    For the passenger side of the front seat, ordinary seat
belts will suffice until 1994 under the new ruling. As
previously written, the federal standard required passive
restraint systems such as air bags on both the driver's and
passenger's side of the front seat in all new cars by 1990.
 Reuter
