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W-Standard Sensory air bags represent future of vehicular safety devices
erbal skills
Chris Brooks
Columnist,
Senior physics
major
iise oil
9p.H
or a soldier in the Army,
“Secure the building”
means to capture a build-
ngand keep anyone from
4 eaving. In the Marines, it
neans to capture the building
aid keep anyone from getting
ntoit. For a sailor, this state-
tent means to close all doors
md turn off the lights.
And to the Air Force, it means
ileasewith an option to buy. It
svery important for a soldier to
understand the instruction to
secure the building.” In this
lay, when it is almost effortless
locommunicate with anyone in
leworld, it is even more im-
flusi portant to understand each oth-
-lAmericans have gotten lazy
»ith their words.
The different regions of the
country'have their dialects, but
lereare a few common prob-
hswhich need to be corrected
iiAmerican communication.
Thinking is defined as
‘forming or having in the
mind' 1 by the New Merriam-
MsterDictionary — this does
not sound at all like “feeling.”
Ihinkingand feeling are not
Ihe same things, although they
often are used interchangeably
within this society. Consider
the statement, "I think Joe
Schmo is guilty.”
This translates to, “I have
considered the facts and have
.determined that Joe Schmo
'committed the crime,” Now
iookat'Tfeel Joe Schmo is
JuiityThis is equivalent to, “I
'^javeagut feeling that Joe
f ° rnl " chmodid it.”
While there is nothing
ffongwith gut instincts,
many people use “feel” when
they actually have considered
lefacts and thought about
itesituation. A quick test to
ietermine whether a person
use “think” or “feel” is
toadd the word “because” to
iieend of a sentence.
Ifa person can say “I feel Joe
r olSchmo is guilty because ... ”
p|) followed by some reasons, then
flo 'think" is the word the person
should be using.
Another problem with inac-
iftittracies in communication
yiheli concerns those that are inten
tional. “Little white lies” are
rarely little, and no lie is really
vji white. In reality, lies are more
|Bryt damaging to the speaker than
inf! the recipient, but consider for
amoment how a lie to “pro
tect" someone’s feelings can
affect that person.
Ifa woman who just got a
air-do resembling Medusa’s
told that her hair looks (in-
tertpositive adjective) and
ten asks a guy at a club to
ance, there is a distinct pos-
fbility the guy will look at her
irand laugh (or turn to
one). This would crush her
more than if a friend had
token the news.
(Note: The author will not
'eheld responsible for truth-
answers to “Does my butt
look big?”)
Truth in communication is
portant. If people can never
owwhen they are being lied
to, they can never know who
to trust.
The key to accurate com-
Nmication is to say what is
eant and to say it truthfully,
person from China or Swe
den might not understand
acceptable” mis-statements.
Any person who barely
peaks English is going to have
double understanding what
j)| the common euphemisms
tiean and perhaps the reason
f or them.
In the presence of many in
ternational students, and in
Preparation for entrance into
hre “global village” technology
has created, Americans must
e arn to speak accurately.
A ir bags will allow safety offi
cials to further understand
accidents, but the issue of
hypersensitive air bags and the fa
talities they cause still remain.
Although advancements in air
bag technology were unveiled at
the Society of Automotive Engi
neers Convention, car makers still
must strive to ensure greater air
bag safety by decreasing the
chances of false deployment.
Furthermore, consumers must
recognize these improvements as a launch
ing point to greater car safety and pressure
manufactures to continue developing the
technology and equipment to provide maxi
mum safety in accidents.
Air bag suppliers have responded to 15
recent air bag deaths by introducing new
systems to modify the rate and force of air
Jbag deployment. These changes are needed
since an infant’s skull can be irrevocably
damaged by the trajectory and velocity of a
150 mph airbag.
In response to this issue, Siemen Cor
poration designers have constructed sen
sors programmed to deactivate air bags
when they detect the presence of an in
fant car seat in the passenger’s seat.
Specifically, the Siemen sensors emit elec
tromagnetic signals which are received by
resonators built into the child safety seats.
The resonators then relay signals to the
car confirming the presence of a child
seat. Finally, the same message is forward
ed to the air bag control unit where the
shutdown of the bag commences.
These overdue technologies will re
quire cooperation as car makers and child
safety manufacturers must collaborate on
the installation of sensors and resonators.
Car makers estimate that the cost of
Siemen’s air bag restraint system will add
an extra $40 dollars to the cost of a stan
dard vehicle. Additionally, Andrea Hurl of
Siemen’s projects the resonators to cost
an additional $8 dollars per car seat. Cer
tainly an extra $48 can hardly compare to
the lives that will be saved for having in
vested in such equipment. Jim Lee, a
manager with Gerry Baby Products has
already committed his company to modi
fying the seats for the new technology,
but again an industry standard is impera
tive to end infant death.
In spite of the promise of Siemen’s tech
nology, other firms such as General Motors
Delphi Automotive Systems have developed
more extensive air bag systems. Moreover,
Delphi’s “air bag restraint system,” not only
Columnist
General Franklin
Junior history major
shuts down air bags when neces
sary, but controls the force of de
ployment by measuring various
conditions. In fact the system
can detect seat belt wearing,
weight, severity of accident and
distance from the dashboard
when determining how and at
what force the bag should inflate.
This system holds great promise
since the car’s emergency re
sponse is geared to these unique
conditions. This versatility of
function allows air bags to respond to all
possible measurable crash conditions.
Multitudes of other companies are ex
ploring the function of air bag sensors, all
with the purpose of minimizing the hazards
of false air bag deployment. Further down
the road, designers plan to expand the us
age of air bags by having them deploy from
various positions such as the seats, the ceil
ing and floorboards to provide optimal
cushion during collisions. Also, they esti
mate the average car will house at least 10
air bags all equipped with sensors to tailor
air bag response to accident severity.
Before images of an inner tube on
wheels haunt your dreams at night, consid
er how automakers must refine the air bag
response system before pursuing more
ambitious safety features. Unfortunately,
plans for an “air bag mobile” must be halt
ed until designers address the problems of
deflation and malfunction.
Although air bag reforms are safety-ori
ented, certain aspects of this technology
seem to increase the very likelihood of fatal
ity they were designed to decrease. One
dangerous aspect of air bags, aside from the
embarrassment of driving the “Wiener mo
bile,” is the possibility of malfunction and
false deployment. Without these, the poten
tial for injury is greater if specialized sensors
fail to analyze the car’s data accurately,
thereby activating air bags at a force and
speed dangerous to passengers.
The designers have not addressed de
activation of deployed air bags. In the
event of a collision-causing fire, the air
bag cushion has the potential of not only
securing passengers from impact, but
also the averse effect of pinning occu
pants. Without some mechanism for im
mediate deflation, many fatalities will oc
cur since the removal of injured bodies
will be impeded by inflated air bags.
Furthermore, the cost of air bag replace
ment is so overblown, pardon the pun, it be
comes prohibitive for people to replace. In
the event of false deployment, a driver will
probably presume air bag safety is just hot air
and avoid the $2,500 reinstallation fee. One
can only hope the over-inflated price will re
duce with more usage in cars. Until more af
fordable costs are offered, many people will
pass over the important safety devices, risk
ing their lives in the process. However, if the
combination of expense and malfunction are
tlie best car makers can offer, motorists
should be advised to equip their cars with
cheaper tools bearing more reliability, a bicy
cle pump and a flotation device.
Another defect of the new sensor tech
nology is the amount of time required to
miniaturize the components for cars. Quite
simply, no one has addressed where the ad
ditional bags will fit. Although BMW and
Mercedes plan to offer their air bag gadgets
in future models, most of the high-tech so
lutions will require long research and exper
imentation before any measurable driver
benefits will materialize.
In light of the slow progress, it is im
perative for car makers to bolster low-
tech solutions while formulating sophisti
cated solutions for air bag safety. The
focus on high-tech safety has fueled a de
bate from several safety advocates and
victims alike who believe a basic ap
proach is more immediate.
Robert Sanders, whose young daughter
was killed by an air bag in 1995, thinks air
bags should only deploy in severe crashes
thereby preventing deaths from ultra-sen
sitive deployment. Although plausible in
theory, this idea fails since a driver in an
accident cannot determine the appropri
ateness of air bag deployment. Simply
yelling “Go, go gadget air bags!” should be
left to “Inspector Gadget” since a voice- •
mediated response would come too late
after the collision. In spite of the impracti-
cality of his idea, however, Sanders was
correct when he said, “The crisis doesn’t
require Star Wars technology,” but com
mon sense such as wearing seat belts and
placing car seats in the rear.
In order to progress and save lives, it is
important for manufactures to promote
easy preventative measures while develop
ing more sophisticated air bag technology.
Perhaps the day will arrive when we can ‘
watch the “force” on film and use the
“force” in our air bags.
Campus construction hinders travel for students
G etting around
campus is more
and more diffi
cult every semester.
The urge to build and
improve has overcome
the Texas A&M admin
istration. The improve
ments, when finished,
will be welcome addi
tions to the campus.
Until then, they will
only cause frustration and incon
venience to anyone who wants to
travel across campus.
There is no doubt that im
provements need to be made all
over campus, and many of these
needs are being addressed. The
problem is that too many things
are being done at once. Since the
end of the spring semester, more
roads and paths which were the
only convenient way to get
around campus have been
blocked off.
The endless work on the Cush
ing Library only has been wors-
Columnist
Dan Cone
Sophomore economics major
ened by the additional
work now being done to
the Sterling C. Evans Li
brary. It now has be
come impossible to go
from the Southside
Commons to anywhere
without having to de
tour around construc
tion, a fact which New
Student Conference at
tendees are quick to
learn. This inconvenience will be
the first of many the Class of 2001
will have to endure.
To make things even worse,
there have been no provisions
made for pedestrians other than
fences. There are no covered
walkways to protect people from
hard-hat areas on the other sides
of these fences. The additional
traffic from the heavy equip
ment that has been brought in
and the detouring of vehicles
also makes walking around these
areas an adventure.
In addition to the work on new
construction and empty build
ings, renovations on buildings-in-
use truly makes learning an expe
rience. For students who have
classes in Nagle Hall, there only
are two options: learn to read lips,
or hopefully, move to another
building. The construction makes
it impossible to hear anything but
power tools in the halls.
For anyone trying to get a quick
meal on campus, good luck. Sbisa
and the Memorial Student Center
cafeteria are both closed for sum
mer, leaving only the Commons
and the overpriced snack areas.
Sbisa has become another con
struction zone to be avoided, and
the sign at the MSC reads, “Special
Event,” although there is no one
there. Students who want a meal
without leaving campus should
look forward to dodging trucks
and walking around fences to get
to the Commons.
Driving on campus has be
come even worse than before.
Since Ross Street began to sink
and was closed to southbound
traffic, there was only one way to
travel north and south on cam
pus: Lubbock Street. After the
end of the spring semester, how
ever, Lubbock Street was blocked
off from Koldus, extending past
the Commons. With the addition
al blocking of Spence Street in
front of the Pavilion, cars have
been detoured between the
Chemistry Building and the
Bright Building, a very heavily
used pedestrian walkway. If
someone isn’t hit by a car in that
area, the University will be lucky
to avoid a large law suit.
The road construction on cam
pus is nothing in comparison to the
lack of progress on Texas Avenue
and George Bush Drive, but sooner
or later, the Texas Highway Depart
ment will finish its jobs. That has
yet to be proven about A&M.
The battles students face on
campus is worsened by the addi
tional construction on West Cam
pus. The widening of Olsen Road
and fences around where Reed Are
na will be, are more obstacles to be
avoided when traveling on that side
of campus. In addition to Olsen
Road, Agronomy Road has become
impossible to use. Still, more fences
have gone up by Kleberg.
There is no doubt that when
finished, all of these construc
tion projects will improve the
campus tremendously. Being
the largest undergraduate uni
versity in the nation calls for
continual improvements and re
pairs. As an Old Ag might put it,
however, there are too many
irons in the fire.
Instead of working on many
projects at the same time, the
University should work on one
or two projects at a time. This
will prevent the inconvenience
that is the current norm, and it»!
may speed up the construction, ■
process. If there are fewer pro-
jects to be overseen, more eyes
can focus on the completion of .
construction in the works.
CrtasEMou wm
JO realize,
CM-IFORLIAS THE
ppnZ-E electoral
puM IN TjOOO-.-
Ai>NAYs awjwd
Mail Call
Sexual control relies
on individual choices
In response to Mandy Outer’s June
25 column:
Sexual responsibility is a matter
of making the right moral choices.
Until sex is understood to be an act
of love reserved for a lifelong monog
amous marriage, problems like these
will continue to occur. The goal of
the “conservative rhetoric” is not to
burden young people with guilt, but
to give them wisdom to make re
sponsible and moral choices.
Although many people may
not respond to teaching right
and wrong, the message must
still be made clear.
It will be a sad day when the truth;
is overlooked because it is “old-fash
ioned.” Notice how we don’t hear ;
about those people who make the ■
right choices regarding sexuality. ;
How often does a virgin or a happily--
married couple throw a baby in the '
trash can? There is no basis to say
preaching is ineffective. We should ’
applaud individuals who live moral- •
ly, and expect the same of others.
Additionally, why is it wrong to •
kill a baby after birth, while abor- !!
tion is a “legitimate possibility?” •
Did abortion become ethical be- I!
cause the Supreme Court, a hu- ;;
man institution, allowed it to be
legal? Cater is concerned for the ;;
welfare of Melissa Drexler, and
that is good — her parents may ;
have been uninterested in her life.-
Discarding a life is wrong, how
ever, and still would be had she
had an abortion. People must act
on conscience, not circumstance
or environment.
Stanley Pounds
Graduate Student