WASHINGTON — General Motors (NYSE: GM) said today that all side air bags in GM vehicles are specifically designed to be compatible with the safety needs of children and small adult females. That commitment extends to conditions where the occupant might be out of position and close to the air bag at the time of deployment.
All side air bags on current GM vehicles — and those under development for future products — meet strict industry requirements for compatibility adopted last year by the Alliance of Automobile Manufacturers. Earlier versions of GM side air bags meet stringent internal criteria that closely mirror the current industry standard, including tests using 3- and 6-year-old child crash test dummies.
"GM's commitment to side air bag development builds on our long history of innovative safety engineering," said Robert Lange, GM's executive director of safety integration. "We were the first domestic automaker to offer side air bags and we currently offer them in 35 models."
GM's air bag innovation includes the introduction of a head curtain air bag as standard equipment on the 2002 Saturn L-Series and as an option on the 2002 Saturn S-Series and VUE.
"The emphasis GM has placed on developing side air bags that meet the needs of all occupants is paying off," said Lange. "The real world performance of these systems has been excellent."