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SUPPLEMENT TO McHENRY PLAINDEALER - PAGE 2! - WFJ AUTOWORLD By BRENT RU8SBLL Air bag crash protection systems will indeed save the lives of many automobile oc­ cupants, but the costs will be great--perhaps so great that federal regulators ought to consider alternatives, such as a passive belt system, a White House panel is advising. The Council on Wage and Price Stability, the latest in a string of federal agencies weighing in with an opinion on air bags, does not directly encourage the Department of Transportation to drop the idea of mandatory air bags, but it offers a number of rea­ sons why this might be a good idea. In a 26-page comment deal­ ing mainly with the economic impact of auto occupant pro­ tection systems, the Council comes out strongly for a per­ formance test of effectiveness. That is, it thinks DOT should merely specify how safe a car should be and allow auto makers to meet that standard anyway they wanted to. Applying this "survivabil­ ity" standard to cars, the Council says, means car buy­ ers could, in effect, specify which life protecting devices will be used. They would patronise the manufacturers offering the most protection with the least objectionable features and lowest price. Additionally, the Council thinks that many of the over­ lapping standards now im­ posed on. cars could be dropped for a single "surviv­ ability" standard. This would reduce confusion and insure that each standard is work­ ing toward the common goal of reducing auto deaths and injuries. The problem the Council did not address on this pro­ posal is how to prepare such a standard. While the idea looks attractive, it can easily be imagined that government bureaucrats and auto indus­ try technical experts would labor for years in an attempt to find an acceptable single standard. Perhaps realizing this, the Council did offer strong sup­ port for a passive belt system like that currently available on some models of the Volks­ wagen Rabbit. It meets the passive test in that auto oc­ cupants do not have to do anything to activate the sys­ tem. The dosing of the car's doors means the system is ready to operate--that is, cushion the impact on the hu­ man occupants if there is an accident Like today's seat and shoulder belts, this system protects the occupants whether the impact comes on the front end or any of the other angles. Air bags are only useful in the event of a front end crash and thus must be used along with stan­ dard belt systems. There is a disadvantage to these passive belts, however, as presently designed, they can only be used with sepa­ rate, bucket-type seats. But as the Council notes, the trend toward smaller cars means more cars equipped with bucket seats. According to figures offered' by the Council's probers, 40 per cent of cars sold in 1976 had the backet seats. Manufacturers who produce smaller cars, however, pro­ duced a larger percentage. This is illustrated in data showing that 98.4 per cent of imported ears have bucket seats. The Council found that the single most cost-effective occupant protection system is the traditional lap and shoulder belt system. But since it doesn't expect volun­ tary useage to exceed 86 per cent, this system is still "'tttetty 4t»Ahfuatt. Hfthda- tory belt wearing laws, as has been proposed, would only increase this to 70 per cent, the Council believes, and that is still too low to provide adequate protection. These findings, along with others being sifted by Trans­ portation Secretary Brock Adams as he considers final rules for passive restraints, should lessen the chances of a poorly designed system that the driving public might resist. Coffee beans are actually the piti of a red, cherrylike f r u i t . Big Car Finale The 1978 line of cars from Detroit, debuting in dealer showrooms soon, will be the last with really heavy auto­ mobiles--those weighing any­ where from 4,400 to 6,000 pounds. General Motors, the indus­ try leader in "downsizing" its models to make them squeeze more miles out of increas­ ingly expensive gasoline, has already stopped producing the biggies. But Ford and Chrysler continue to offer, for only one more year, two models each: the Ford LTD, Mercury Marquis, Chrysler New Yorker and Chrysler Newport. All are powered by 400-cubic-inch engines that will not be standard after production stops on the 1978's. ' *•* • * * * This is the time of year to check your fire in­ surance. ̂fimrdj Itft. 610 SOUTH ROUTE 31 MCHENRY. ILLINOIS 60050 ON Hwv. 3I.I MILE SO. OF MCHENRY - - • • WE PAY CASH FOR CLEAN, USED VOLKSWAGENS LeBaron Town & Country Wagon ssss®3?; Comtortabte v** ®xory • Outstep ance . except P®no -8iZRlflX Come see it. LeBaron Town & Country Wagon A lot of luxury wagon at a Very Surprising Deal. CHRYSLER I hiinoulf EASY TO ithCH ONLY 1 MILE EAST OF McHENRY ON RTE. 120 RYSLER-PLYMOUTH *c art 120 hcmmm. ILL \ 919-395-3100 \