Why are passenger-side airbags optional?

• canaan

  22 May 06, 01:56

  Been evaluating the 1.6cc and below cars, and notice that a considerable number of models provide only driver airbag and do not provide passenger airbag.
  
  Aside from lowering cost, is there any other reason why car manufacturers do not feel the need to make mandatory the provision of passenger airbag?
  
  Thanks for all the clarification.
• drumstick

  22 May 06, 07:40

  Originally posted by canaan:

  Been evaluating the 1.6cc and below cars, and notice that a considerable number of models provide only driver airbag and do not provide passenger airbag.
  
  Aside from lowering cost, is there any other reason why car manufacturers do not feel the need to make mandatory the provision of passenger airbag?
  
  Thanks for all the clarification.

  Maybe besides cost, the manufacturer may be presuming that no matter what...still need a driver inside the car to drive if it crash but passenger not necessary always inside. Therefore, installing driver bag may be sufficient to meet the safey standard and yet cut cost.
• newcomer

  22 May 06, 10:25

  I think it's got to do with the insurance policy, I don't know how it works though.
• tailslide

  22 May 06, 11:06

  Originally posted by canaan:

  Been evaluating the 1.6cc and below cars, and notice that a considerable number of models provide only driver airbag and do not provide passenger airbag.
  
  Aside from lowering cost, is there any other reason why car manufacturers do not feel the need to make mandatory the provision of passenger airbag?
  
  Thanks for all the clarification.

  because the driver usually pays for the installments. die liao who pay?
• digicharat

  22 May 06, 16:10

  and also who pay for the damages caused by the driver?
  if driver die how to pay for other peoples damages?
  
  this is a time whereby the driver life is more valuable than the passengers.
• Praetorian111

  22 May 06, 21:15

  It used to be one, then two then now six.
  Since there is no standard to follow car manufacturers will just include them in as they deem fit. Similar cars can be equiped with different amount of air bags. A good example will be picanto. In Singapore, they are equiped with none. while in european nations they are equiped with two. Picanto is voted in Europe as one of the safest small cars.
  Alot of experts argued about the fact of air bags on cars... being that it might be dangerous when fully inflated causing death in most severe situations. While others argued that seat beats are safe enough in most accidents. If you see the need for passenger side to be equiped with airbags why not asked how come the backseats are not??