i have a four year old son and i am looking for the best solution to transport him in my 01 s2000.the owner's manual gives strict instructions for securing a child seat.but my dealer said he has installed a honda piece that would turn off only the passenger airbag,and the driver's would still work.he had not installed on on a s2000,but he was just informing me that a honda part did exist.can anyone help me figure out if it is a ok to carry my son and not be paranoid?thanks

 

i was told in calif that the dealers can not install the switch- they will refer a body shop to do it. i was also told that this had to do with liability (if the switch was off with an adult and the airbag did not deploy if needed, a potential liability issue could exist---only in california where we have way too many lawyers!).

 

Wanabe is correct as far as California is concerned, except I'm not sure if dealers "could" not or "would" not. I had to get an airbag replacement company to install the switch. I didn't know that Honda had a switch available. That may be better as far as switch placement. The one I had installed was put inder the dash, but gets in the way of tall folks's knees in the passenger side. As far as paranoid goes, i wrestled with the idea, but my wife helped the arguement by not allowing me to take our now 3 year old in the car until a switch was installed.

There are a few treads discussing the process, but basically you need to fill out the form on the NTSB web site and get a waiver letter from them to give to the installer.

 

Let me point out, that there have been tens of thousands of people saved by airbags compared to the dozens (~150) children killed by them. Those saved lives include many thousands of children; more than 10 to one than have been killed. AND, those injured almost always were backwards in an infant seat, or not belted in at all.

I'm speaking as a tramua surgeon now...the airbag scare is BS! As a true-blue Republican, I hate the US Gov't dictating regulations and rules for us to live our lives by, but the airbag is a great thing. Leave it alone and enjoy the fact that your children are much safer in a car with an air bag than any of us were when we were kids.

The airbag warnings stated by the manufactures are lawyer loopholes to attempt to prevent big money payouts to injured people. Remember, the tens of thousands of people who had their lives saved by a bag aren't suing.

Leave it alone, but keep them as far away from it as possible. Then FORGET THAT IT IS THERE! Enjoy the fact that our parents never had the various safety features protecting us that we now have for our kids.

 

THANK YOU EVERYONE!!!