Investigations
SAFETY PERFORMANCE OF AIR BAGS
NHTSA Defect Petition DP97002 - closed, opened 1997-07-09.
NHTSA investigation DP97002 is a Defect Petition opened on 1997-07-09 and currently closed. The subject is tracked inside the Office of Defects Investigation queue. Latest activity on this investigation was logged on 1997-12-09 - NHTSA updates that field whenever an Information Request goes out, a supplement is filed, or a status change is recorded in the public docket.
A Defect Petition like DP97002 starts when a person or group formally asks NHTSA to investigate a specific alleged defect. Petitioners submit evidence, NHTSA reviews it within 120 days, and either grants the petition (opening a PE) or denies it with a written explanation in the Federal Register.
Investigators summarized the matter as follows: "MR. FRIEDMAN PETITIONED THE AGENCY TO CONDUCT AN INVESTIGATION TO DETERMINE WHETHER "SOME AIR BAGS DEPLOY WITH SUFFICIENT IMPULSIVE FORCE TO CAUSE SERIOUS AND POTENTIALLY FATAL CHEST INJURIES TO AN INDIVIDUAL WHO IS WELL..." Investigations are the early-warning layer of the federal auto-safety system, sitting upstream of formal recalls and defect orders. Whether this one closes without action or escalates into an Engineering Analysis, the full history stays in the ODI archive so researchers, litigators, and buyers can pull the paper trail at any time.
Investigation Summary
MR. FRIEDMAN PETITIONED THE AGENCY TO CONDUCT AN INVESTIGATION TO DETERMINE WHETHER "SOME AIR BAGS DEPLOY WITH SUFFICIENT IMPULSIVE FORCE TO CAUSE SERIOUS AND POTENTIALLY FATAL CHEST INJURIES TO AN INDIVIDUAL WHO IS WELL WITHIN THE SPACE INTO WHICH THE AIR BAG DEPLOYS."
About This Investigation Type
A Defect Petition (DP) is initiated when an individual or organization formally petitions NHTSA to investigate a potential safety defect. NHTSA reviews the petition and decides whether to open an investigation.
Data from NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation. Cross-references: NHTSA recall campaign API and NHTSA FARS where fatality records overlap. PlainCars does not rate or recommend vehicles. about how PlainCars sources NHTSA data.
Read our methodology - how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.