The Washington Metropolitan Auto Body Association (WMABA) said it supports SB 48 with two proposed amendments. It also supports the consumer's right to have their vehicles repaired with safe methods and quality replacement parts.

Here is written testimony submitted by WMABA: The use of salvaged replacement airbags for consumer vehicles is not a practice that is currently employed or accepted in the collision repair industry due to a litany of safety concerns. There are not currently any manufacturers that endorse the use of nondeployed salvaged airbags, and to the contrary, most original equipment manufacturers strongly caution against the practice due to the liability risks. If these products are being purchased in the United States, the likely recipients of these airbags are vehicle rebuilders, which often do not conform to the same levels of workmanship and concern for consumer safety as quality minded collision repair facilities.

At this point in time, it is not verifiable that salvaged airbags can be used for replacement with the same quality, consistency and safety as the Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM) specifications.

Salvaged airbags pose a safety risk as there is no means to definitively show that the airbag was removed from the donor vehicle without damage, stored in a climate controlled environment and transported properly to the repair facility. Without verification of these items, there is no possibility of ensuring the same quality and safety as the OEM product. In fact, the only way to know for a fact that a salvaged airbag will deploy properly, is to deploy it, thus rendering the part useless.

Throughout the same vehicle model year there are variations made within the safety systems. There is no possibility of verifying that the airbag from the donor vehicle of the same model year, and with the same individualized specification goes with the vehicle that is being repaired. Timing of the airbag could be affected by this factor in a subsequent accident, thus creating a safety concern and exposing any business which elects to use such part to undue liability. It is imperative that this legislative body place your decision into what will undoubtedly protect Maryland's motor vehicle owners, rather than to gamble with the safety of our state's Mothers, Fathers and Children who these safety related vehicle components are intended to protect.

WMABA also does not find conflict in the language for keeping and maintaining records for the use of OEM airbags, as this is already common practice. Two changes to the proposed language are:

1) Strike change to 14-3904 entirely. The repair order will show the replacement of the airbag and current fraud laws protect the vehicle owner from any other action.

2) Strike "or seat belt pretensioner" from 3-508 change. A seat belt pretensioner cannot be verified for deployment. They are replaced based on the details of the accident and cannot be determined at the scene of the accident.