The University Record, January 28, 1997
Transportation Services offers advice to drivers of University vehicles
Transportation Services has issued a memorandum including tips for drivers of University vehicles. “I would suggest that the drivers of all vehicles take these precautions,” says Pat Cunningham, director of Transportation Services.
Require all passengers to wear their safety belts at all times. “In all cases, the most important thing you can do is wear your seat belt and shoulder harness, and cinch it as tightly as possible,” Cunningham says. “Most serious injuries that occur are generally when people are thrown out of the vehicle. Wearing a safety belt will help prevent injuries when the airbag inflates, as well.”
Place all children, especially those under age 12, in the back seat(s) of the vehicle.
Move the driver and front passenger seats as far back as possible. “If we could put all those passenger seats back and leave them back, it would be the best thing we could do,” Cunningham says.
“These precautions will help minimize possible harm from the deployment of airbags and should be used by everyone whenever they drive any vehicle,” he notes.
Cunningham estimates that less than half of University’s nearly 850 vehicles have driver-side airbags. Fewer than 20 percent are fitted with passenger-side airbags. Although airbags have been blamed for a number of serious injuries and deaths, none have deployed prematurely and no serious injuries have resulted from air bags inflating in University vehicles.
