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Disabling or removing air bags

Disabling | Removing

Most safety experts think that most people would be better off if they left their air bags alone. Soon a new generation of air bags will become available which use the latest technology to calibrate air bag deployment.

Disabling

A comprehensive strategy has been developed to preserve the benefits of air bags while minimizing the risks. Starting in 1998, the federal government allowed certain car owners to purchase an on-off switch for their air bags. Auto dealers and service outlets install the switches. Only people who fit into the following categories are eligible:

• Those who cannot avoid placing rear-facing infant seats in the front seat
• Those who cannot adjust their driving position to keep back at least 10 inches from the steering wheel
• Those who cannot avoid situations, such as car pools, that require a child age 12 or under to ride in the front seat
• Those who have a medical condition that places them at some specific risk

Removing

You should not remove an airbag. It's against the law.

If you remove, change or tamper with an airbag, you can be subject to the Wisconsin Defective Air Bag Law (2001 Wisconsin Act 28). Any person who unlawfully removes or tampers with an airbag can be subject to a fine of not more than $5,000 or imprisonment for not more than one year in a county jail or both.

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Questions about the content of this page:
Tom Knoop, thomas.knoop@dot.state.wi.us
Last modified: January 24, 2006