S-1496.1  _______________________________________________

                    SENATE JOINT MEMORIAL 8010

          _______________________________________________

State of Washington      55th Legislature     1997 Regular Session

By Senators Strannigan and Oke

Read first time 02/17/97.  Referred to Committee on Transportation.

Encouraging the federal government to enact laws permitting airbag deactivation switches to be installed in new and used vehicles.

    TO THE HONORABLE WILLIAM J. CLINTON, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES, AND TO THE PRESIDENT OF THE SENATE AND THE SPEAKER OF THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, AND TO THE SENATE AND HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE UNITED STATES, IN CONGRESS ASSEMBLED, AND TO THE UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION:

    We, your Memorialists, the Senate and House of Representatives of the State of Washington, in legislative session assembled, respectfully represent and petition as follows:

    WHEREAS, The Secretary of Transportation has prescribed motor vehicle safety standards under the authority of the National Traffic and Motor Vehicle Safety Act of 1966; and

    WHEREAS, The current standards require that vehicles be equipped with an automatic occupant crash protection system consisting of lap and shoulder seat belts and an inflatable restraint device otherwise known as an "airbag" in the two front seating positions; and

    WHEREAS, Airbags have saved lives, but due to their present design have also been responsible for the shocking and gruesome deaths of many children and adults; and

    WHEREAS, This increasing problem poses a substantial risk to the safety of motor vehicle passengers and is damaging the credibility of these important safety devices; and

    WHEREAS, This situation has effectively rendered the front passenger side seating area in many vehicles useless in a large number of cases; and

    WHEREAS, It is possible to improve upon this situation; and

    WHEREAS, Federal law expressly preempts states from altering present standards or enacting other safety standards in this field;

    NOW, THEREFORE, Your Memorialists respectfully pray that the United States Congress and the United States Department of Transportation adopt new laws, regulations, and standards to protect the safety of occupants of passenger vehicles by encouraging the installation of airbag systems where the driver has the ability to deactivate the passenger side airbag in any type of vehicle.

    BE IT RESOLVED, That copies of this Memorial be immediately transmitted to the Honorable William J. Clinton, President of the United States, Secretary of the United States Department of Transportation, the President of the United States Senate, the Speaker of the House of Representatives, and each member of Congress from the State of Washington.

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