CONSUMER COMMITTEE APPROVES GREENLEAF BILL ON FAKE AIRBAGS

HARRISBURG –A bill sponsored by Sen. Stewart J. Greenleaf to add a new section to the Crimes Code for unlawful dealing in or installation of phony airbags in vehicles was approved by the Senate Consumer Protection and Professional Licensure Committee.

Under Senate Bill 45, a person who knowingly buys, sells, or installs fake airbags or fills a vehicle airbag compartment with material other than an airbag could be charged with a first degree misdemeanor and subject to a maximum fine of $10,000 and a prison term of up to five years.

News reports have indicated that airbags filled with Styrofoam and airbag compartments filled with trash have been discovered after accidents. News reports have also exposed scam operations by vehicle repair shops that increase their profit on after-accident repairs by replacing airbags with dummy bags that don’t provide protection to passengers.

Approximately 50 percent of vehicles on the road today are equipped with airbags. "Since airbags are a life-saving device, strict measures must be undertaken to prevent airbag scams and to protect motorists," Greenleaf said. He noted that similar legislation has become law in 15 states and that his bill is supported by the Alliance of Automobile Manufacturers.