Americans Deserve Proper Functioning Airbags in Their Vehicles

Recycled airbag modules are safe alternative when installed properly

FAIRFAX, Va., June 26 /PRNewswire/ -- A recent review conducted by the
National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) of 1,446 fatal
accidents from 2001 and 2006 found that in an alarming 255 instances - almost
18 percent - airbags that should have been replaced following deployment in a
previous crash were missing. This data points to a significant issue of
ensuring that individuals who complete vehicle collision repairs and insurance
total loss vehicle rebuilds restore critical safety components as part of the
repair and rebuilding process. Airbag omission (the practice of repairing
vehicles without replacing deployed or missing airbags) is a serious problem
with real negative consequences for the safety of American car owners, and
this practice must be stopped.

The Automotive Recyclers Association (ARA), the leading international trade
association of professional automotive recyclers, strongly supports the reuse
of non-deployed airbags which have met specific industry standards and that
those evaluated recycled airbag components are a safe, economically-smart
repair alternative to restore vehicles to their pre-accident condition. "The
use of these evaluated components is a cost-effective option for a consumer,"
said Michael E. Wilson, Executive Vice President of ARA, "but, more
importantly, extensive research and years of experience have proven them as a
safe alternative as well."

Lacking any statistical information, some industry groups continue to push
naive arguments regarding the use of recycled airbag modules. These groups
continue to rely essentially on personal opinions rather than on any specific
technical analysis. A look at comprehensive safety tests on non-deployed OEM
air bags conducted by Garwood Laboratories, Inc., Pico River, California (in
accordance with SAE Inflator Restraints Standard SAE J1630 and Manufacturers
Deployment Standards) reveals that recycled airbag use is indeed a solid
alternative that protects the American consumer.

Based on this scientific data combined with years of real world experience,
the ARA stands by the use of non-deployed, recycled OEM airbags as viable,
economical, and safe alternatives to the use of new, more costly OEM airbags.
In fact, recycled airbag modules are currently being used in insurance
collision repairs in parts of Canada. Both the Insurance Corporation of
British Columbia (ICBC) and Saskatchewan General Insurance (SGI) have been
successfully using recycled airbags in repairs for many years. The test
conducted by ICBC compared recycled and new air bags. The mix consisted of
recycled airbags from domestic and Japanese manufacturers. New Ford, General
Motors, Chrysler and Honda airbags of the same application as recycled ones
were purchased from local dealerships for comparison to the recycled ones. The
results of the test were that effective April 2001, ICBC and body shops began
utilizing recycled previously undeployed airbags supplied by ICBC/ARA
"Certified" Automotive Recyclers.

As a proactive measure to ensure safety standards are met, ARA launched
ARAPro(TM) in 2006. The ARA's Airbag Protocol was developed as a national
standard to ensure best practices are applied to the process of extracting,
handling, inspecting, and storing recycled airbags from salvaged vehicles.
Using the Vehicle Identification Number as well as other interchange reference
sources, ARAPro(TM) enables the repairer to accurately match the make, model,
and year of the replacement component to the vehicle under repair.

ARAPro(TM) Airbags, the brand name that applies to recycled airbags complying
with the Airbag Protocol, are supplied with a certificate that can ultimately
be used by a state DMV's to verify that a Protocol compliant airbag has been
used in the repair. Returning vehicles to the roads without airbags is a
serious problem as the NHTSA study underlines. ARAPro(TM) Airbags are an
integral part of the solution to stop potential, unnecessary, tragedy on the
roads.

Since 1943, the Automotive Recyclers Association ("ARA") represents an
industry dedicated to the efficient removal and reuse of "green" automotive
parts, and the recycling of inoperable motor vehicles. ARA represents over
4,500 automotive recycling facilities through memberships in the United States
and fourteen other countries around the world. With programs such as the
Certified Automotive Recycler Program (CAR) and other partnerships, ARA
members continue to provide consumers with quality, low cost alternatives for
vehicle replacement parts, while preserving our environment for a "greener"
tomorrow.

To learn more about the Association, visit ARA's home page at www.a-r-a.org or
call (703) 385-1001.

This press release was issued through 24-7PressRelease.com. For further
information, visit http://www.24-7pressrelease.com.

SOURCE Automotive Recyclers Association

Anthony Livingston of Automotive Recyclers Association, +1-703-385-1001,
anthony@a-r-a.org