Airbags Overtake Anti-Lock Breaks in Safety Ranking
20 July 1998
Valvoline/ASE Poll: Airbags Overtake Anti-Lock Breaks in Safety Ranking by America's Top Auto TechniciansSeat belts are still by far the No. 1 safety feature, according to sixth annual Valvoline/ASE Poll of the American Mechanic LEXINGTON, Ky. July 20 -- Anti-lock brakes are taking a back seat to airbags as a preferred safety feature in today's vehicles, the nation's best auto technicians say in a new national survey. Seat belts are still by far the No. 1 safety feature for cars and trucks, according to 61 percent of respondents in the sixth annual Valvoline ASE Poll of the American Mechanic released today. However, 20 percent of technicians named airbags as the second best safety feature, followed by 18 percent for anti-lock brakes. In the 1997 poll, only 16 percent of technicians voted for airbags while 23 percent voted for anti-lock brakes. "All the publicity around the proper use of airbags is having an influence on their safety value," said Ronald Weiner, president of the National Institute for Automotive Service Excellence (ASE), the largest certification organization for technicians in the country. "What ASE-certified technicians are saying is that airbags are an important automotive safety feature when used in combination with seat belts and other precautions, regardless if you are a driver or passenger." The National Highway and Traffic Safety Administration recommends the following to gain the full safety benefits airbags: -- Always buckle your seat belt. -- Always place an infant in a rear-facing infant seat in the back seat. -- Always transport children 1 to 12 years old in the back seat and use appropriate child restraints. -- Maintain 10 inches between the center of the airbag cover and your breastbone. "These master technicians are in tune with everything automotive related. They have the experience and insight that makes them experts," Steve Kirchner, Valvoline's vice president of worldwide marketing, said. Other survey findings regarding safety issues include: -- Nearly 70 percent of technicians say the cellular phone is the most important safety item for drivers to carry with them in their vehicles, followed by a tire jack and tire tool (22 percent). Also getting votes: flashlight (5 percent), jumper cables (2 percent) and tire inflator or air pump (2 percent). -- Despite being the No. 1 safety item, the cellular phone also is most likely to be hazardous to a person's ability to drive safely, one-fourth of technicians say. However, reading a book, newspaper or magazine is the most hazardous driver activity (55 percent), technicians say. Fifteen percent see grooming oneself in the rearview mirror as most distracting while only 2 percent consider eating a snack or drinking a beverage as being most hazardous. -- Technicians are more concerned about who's driving rather than how fast they're going. Asked what would most make America's roadways safer, only 3 percent said reducing the speed limit on highways, while 38 percent recommended lowering the blood-alcohol content limit to .08 percent or lower nationwide. Currently, only 15 states use .08 BAC as the barometer for driving while intoxicated. Requiring people 70 or older to pass a driving skills test annually was a close second recommendation (34 percent), followed by raising the minimum age for a driver's license to 18 (21 percent). Other categories technicians voiced their opinions on include: Environment -- Technicians are thinking green when it comes to air quality. Ninety percent feel automotive emissions inspections are necessary at least every other year. Of that 90 percent, more than half feel emissions tests are necessary once or twice a year. Cars of the Past and Future -- Master technicians overwhelmingly picked the GTO (41 percent) as the muscle car from the 1960s and '70s they would most like to see make a comeback, followed by the Road Runner (14 percent) and Mustang (10 percent). Rounding out their favorites are the Barracuda (8 percent), Chevelle (6 percent) and Challenger (5 percent). -- Forty-six percent of master technicians believe a combination of electricity and a low-emission internal combustion engine is most likely to become the power source for most automobiles 20 or 30 years from now. A combination of electricity and natural gas or propane came in second (23 percent), followed by electricity (14 percent) and a low-emission internal combustion engine (13 percent). Maintenance/Business -- Technicians are adamant on the subject of servicing automotive air-conditioning systems, with 92 percent recommending R-12, commonly known as Freon, or R-134a, the only OEM-approved replacement refrigerant for vehicles designed to use R-12. Just 3 percent recommend an alternative refrigerant. Auto Racing -- When it comes to competition, NASCAR Winston Cup blows away all other major racing circuits, technicians say. A whopping 70 percent cited Winston Cup as the most competitive form of professional racing, followed by the National Hot Rod Association (10 percent) and Formula One (7 percent). Surprisingly, the Indy Racing League took third with (5 percent) over the CART FedEx Championship series (2 percent). Celebrities -- When it comes to road trips, technicians prefer to ride side-by-side with actress Sally Field over the king of vacationers, Chevy Chase. Thirty-three percent chose Field, the free-spirited sidekick in Smokey and the Bandit, as their top "shotgun" choice; Chase was a close second with 32 percent of the vote. Taking a back seat to those two big screen stars were fellow actors Steve Martin of Planes, Trains and Automobiles (18 percent), Geena Davis of Thelma and Louise (12 percent) and Dean Jones of The Love Bug (3 percent). -- Amid all the road slicks and smoke caused by recent scandals, President Bill Clinton still drives the country - and he would make a great race car driver, according to technicians. Twenty-eight percent believe Clinton would make the best race car driver based on his ability to steer the presidency through difficult times. Former president Ronald Reagan finished second 24 percent of the vote, followed by George Bush (16 percent), Richard Nixon (15 percent) and Jimmy Carter (8 percent). Fleishman-Hillard Research of St. Louis completed the telephone survey in June, interviewing a national sample of 200 ASE master technicians. Sample error is plus or minus seven percentage points. ASE, established in 1972, offers a nationwide testing and certification program for automobile, truck and collision repair technicians, engine machinist technicians, and parts specialists, twice a year. Master technicians are those who pass eight of ASE's automotive tests - engine performance, engine repair, automatic transmission, manual drive train and axles, suspension and steering, heating and air-conditioning, electrical and electronic systems, and brakes. Valvoline motor oil is the No. 1 choice of top mechanics for use in their own vehicles. Valvoline, a division of Ashland Inc. , has been serving American motorists longer than any other motor oil company and is a leading innovator and supplier of quality, high-performing automotive and industrial products in more than 100 countries. Best known for its lubricants, Valvoline also markets Eagle One appearance products, Zerex antifreeze/coolant, SynPower Performance Products and Pyroil automotive chemicals and refrigerants.