By law, all new cars must be equipped with both driver-side and passenger- side safety air bags. There is concern, however, over whether air bags pose a danger for children sitting on the passenger side. In a National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) study of 55 people killed by the explosive force of air bags, 35 were children seated on the front-passenger side. This study led some car owners with the information about children to disconnect the passenger-side air bag.
a. Use the study to estimate the risk of an air bag fatality on a child seated on the front passenger seat.
b. NHTSA investigators determined that 24 of 35 children killed by the air bags were not wearing seat belts or were improperly restrained. How does this information affect your assessment of the risk of an air bag fatality?