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American Morning

Number of Small Children Killed by Air Bags has Fallen Dramatically

Aired August 30, 2001 - 10:04   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
DARYN KAGAN, CNN ANCHOR: A federal agency says a new report, being released right at this moment, shows that the number of small children killed by air bags has fallen dramatically over the last five years.

CNN's Elaine Quijano takes a closer look at the meaning behind those numbers.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ELAINE QUIJANO, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Robert Sanders knows firsthand what dangers air bags can pose to children.

ROBERT SANDERS: It is a heartbreak I live with every day.

QUIJANO: In October of 1995, Sanders rear-ended another car, while going just nine miles per hour. The impact was enough to deploy both his air bags and the one in the right front passenger seat, where his 7-year-old daughter Alison was sitting.

SANDERS: The bag went off and struck her in the head with such force that she was immediately brain dead, and we took her off life support the next day.

QUIJANO: In 1996, air bags were linked to the deaths of 26 children, but now the results of a five-year study by the National Safety Council show a dramatic decrease. Last year, nine children died. Traffic safety officials say the main reasons: more parents are following the recommendation, that children 12 and under ride in the back seat. They also point to improvements in air bag technology.

PHILIP HASELTINE, TRAFFIC SAFETY EXPERT: The air bags in today's vehicles deploy less forcefully than those of a few years ago.

QUIJANO: But Robert Sanders has mixed feelings about the report. He sees the decline in deaths as progress, but wishes the safety measures had been taken earlier.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

QUIJANO: Once again, the National Safety Council recommends that all children ages 12 and under need to ride in back seat. Also a reminder, they say, everyone in the car should wear their seat belts, and finally, adults in the front seat, especially shorter adults, should make sure that that seat is as far back as possible. We're live in Alexandria, Virginia.

I'm Elaine Quijano.

Daryn, back to you.

KAGAN: Elaine, thank you.

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