Safe Driving - Fake Airbags
Airbags save thousands of lives on the UK's roads each year and with the proper use of seatbelts can help to reduce the risk of severe injury. In fact with all new cars now being fitted with airbags soon there will be very few if any cars on the road that aren't fitted with this safety device. This means that we can all be safe in the knowledge that in the event of an accident our airbags will inflate just in time to save us from injury or can we?
Statistics have shown what can only be described as a horrific trend that has developed in the US and is slowly spreading over the Atlantic to our little island, the fitting of fake air bags.
The fitting of fake or dummy air bags has become big business in the US and with so many of us now relying on these devices it could be catastrophic for motorists. Fake or dummy airbags are exactly what they sound like; they are airbag units minus the airbag. From the outside they look to be a perfectly functioning unit but when called upon will fall short of their purpose.
With an estimated one in twenty five airbags on the US roads thought to be a fake this is a widespread problem that is endangering thousands of people. The fact is that these airbag units can cost huge amounts of money to replace and an unscrupulous mechanic can make a lot of money by using dummy units rather than the real thing.
These unscrupulous garages make their money from car insurance work where a car has been involved in an accident and the car owner's car insurance is paying for the repairs. They can fit a dummy unit and claim the full cost of a brand new unit from the car insurance company making hundreds of pounds profit.
Never examine the unit yourself as they can only be efficiently and properly checked by a qualified person. If you are worried about you airbag unit you are advised to get a trusted mechanic to check the unit as they will be able to tell if the unit is a functioning one. This service will come at a small cost but will give you piece of mind when travelling on today's roads.
