This sounds like hoo-hah. I emailed my sister who works as an attorney for the federal government if she could point me in the right direction to find what the laws are pertaining to the removal of the SRS by the owner of the vehicle. If I can find anything I'll post it up here.

 

I would say that if you care about your safety, the most important thing you can do is to position the seat properly, hold the wheel properly, and always use your seatbelt. Once you do that, the presence or absence of an airbag doesn't really make much difference.

If you drive like 99% of the people on this board do, with your seat slung low and one hand (or wrist) on the top of the wheel...then you're f_cked one way or the other. You've set yourself up to submarine under the belt and break your arm/hand/face on the airbag. Plus, you have no control of the car in that situation.

Personally, I've kept all my safety equipment stock. But if I do make any changes, I will go all out: proper fixed-back seats, roll protection with harness and diagonal bars, 6-point 3" harnesses, and disabled airbags.

Emre

 

Okay, my sister pointed me in the right direction. There are allowances for modification of a vehicle, and certain approved systems that can be modified to enable a vehicle to be modifed for use by a disabled individual. These regulations only apply to commercial entities in the business of modifying vehicles for disability access.

Here I believe is the salient point: (from http://dmses.dot.gov/docimages/pdf60/123015_web.pdf)

The need to alter or remove federally required safety equipment poses a problem because there is a statutory provision prohibiting making such
features inoperative (49 U.S.C. section 30122). (1) While that prohibition does not apply to vehicle owners, it does apply to modifications made by the types of commercial entities that modify vehicles for persons with disabilities.

Footnote (1):
Federal law requires vehicle manufacturers to
certify that their vehicles comply with all
applicable Federal motor vehicle safety standards
(FMVSS or standard) (49 U.S.C. section 30112).
They must continue to comply until the time of
their first retail sale. As noted above, when
installing adaptive equipment in a motor vehicle, a
modifier may need to remove items of equipment
or features that were installed in compliance with
the standards issued by NHTSA pursuant to our
statutory authority (49 U.S.C. section 30111). At
other times, the installer may need to modify or
bypass the safety equipment or features so that the
adaptive equipment can be used. In either instance,
the vehicle modification renders the affected
equipment or features, as originally certified,
inoperative. As noted above, such removal or
alteration violates a statutory provision that
prohibits certain entities from making such
equipment and features inoperative. Specifically,
manufacturers, distributors, dealers, and repair
businesses may not knowingly make inoperative
any part of a device or element of design installed
in or on a motor vehicle that is in compliance with
an applicable standard (49 U.S.C. section 30122).
We have interpreted the term ‘‘make inoperative’’

So the federal law is you the driver can remove the airbag, but a commercial shop can't lawfully remove it. Of course state law may vary on this point.

 

http://forum.miata.net/vb/showthread.php?t=142101
http://forums.nasioc.com/forums/show...6&page=1&pp=25

Still think airbags are more of a hinderance? I think the trade off for low speed injuries is well worth the protection it provides at high speeds ....

 

I know about that incident. If you read the threads, you will see the driver was not only wearing a 4-point tuner belt (which is suicide) but also didn't bother to mount it properly (it stretched). He was basically an uinrestrained driver. Plus, he was wearing an open-face helmet.

Go back to my first point about using your existing safety equipment properly. BTW, what makes you so sure that an airbag would have saved this guy? He was practically begging to be injured and did everything wrong. The missing airbag was the least of his worries.

Emre

 

Ok given the fact that his face smashed against the steering wheel with no airbag, I think its safe to assume that if an airbag was there the injuries the guy suffered to his face would have been a lot less ... I know he could have been better prepared with either a 5 point or 6 point harness and a close faced helmet ... but thats not the point I'm making

 

He was sitting too close to the wheel with essentially NO restraints (just a cheesy tuner belt that was too long) and smashed into a concrete wall at 50-60 mph according to estimates from eye witnesses. In that situation, the airbag would probably have not made a difference.

Airbags take time to deploy. An unrestrained driver sitting too close to the wheel hitting a concrete wall at 50-60 mph will impact the wheel well before an airbag fully deploys.


He would have been safer if he positioned his seat properly, used the stock 3-point seatbelt, and wore a closed-face helmet. The airbag probably would not have made a significant difference. There's loads of evidence in the trauma, plastic surgery, and OMFS literature to support this. There's no reason to make uninformed assumptions about how an airbag would have saved this guy. The facts are there.

Emre

 

wow this thing went off topic real fast. What kind of steering wheel you think of getting? My stock one is getting smudged up top.

 

larryw: don't know if you've seen this thread:

https://www.evolutionm.net/forums/sh...hreadid=126988

Looks like what you're looking for.

 

Hello,

I found some very interesting comments on this thread about modification of OEM safety items/devices like steering wheel-mounted airbags.
I've always wanted to know in detail what are the federal and (FL) state laws about modifications one can perform to a vehicle, in order to be exactly informed about what I could do to an Evo, and still be able to legally drive it on streets and highways.
I've been thinking about roll-cage, removable (non-airbag) steering-wheel, 5-point harness, minimum internal plastic panels, Lexan window replacements, etc.
Can somebody provide specific info or a link to the appropriate info source on this subject (I guess DOT or something like that...).
Even though I think appropriate race harness, seating and roll cage equipment would keep me safer inside a car (in comparison to regular OEM measures), that may not necessarily be legal on the streets...

Thanks in advance for you help people!
Fede.

 

Anyone with a few pointers on above's question...?

 

this brings me to another point... do not wear a harness on the streets.. you cannot look into your bind spots since you can't move your shoulders and you will get into an accident.

 

Guys only a few offered help on the subject of interest to the original poster, others lectured and others has side arguments. Thats A shame! If you knew who this guy was you would be a shamed yourself!

 

I'm sorry...!
I didn't realize I was actually jacking the thread.
My fault.

 

I understand but you have to realize there are Major people on this board from MNA and MJ top dogs to pro racers to the editors of our favorite mags, unfortunately their posts end up like this and wastes their time as well as makes EVOM look like a rice forum- which it surely is not