Installing A Racing Wheel In Your Daily Could Land You In Jail
If you're customizing a modern car and happen to have a quick release racing wheel in your online shopping cart, you might want to reconsider that purchase. Not only because it endangers you in the event of an accident, but also because it's illegal and can land you with a fine, a misdemeanor, or even in jail.
This only applies to folks who fit an aftermarket steering wheel on a car that came from the factory fitted with a driver's airbag, though. In most cases, if the vehicle came out of the factory without a driver's airbag, you're free to slap on whatever wacky wheel suits your taste, whether it's a heart-shaped wheel or a comically tiny one.
States including California, Texas, Florida, Illinois, New York, and Pennsylvania all outlaw the removal or disabling of airbags in vehicles that were sold with them when new, with penalties ranging from fines to impoundment to jail time.
I thought this was America
Why is the gubmint telling you how to live your life? It's a safety thing. Drivers without airbags are 30% more likely to die in a crash according to data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). A San Diego police officer told CBS 8, "When people lose their lives in a crash, it's a ripple effect. It doesn't just affect the person who made that choice. That ripple effect goes out pretty far, from other drivers on the road to the medical examiners, the police officers that have to respond, any witnesses that saw it, the other drivers involved."
In California, being charged with removing or disabling a vehicle's driver airbag carries up to six months of jail time or a $1,000 fine. In New York, the fine is up to $5,000, and imprisonment is still on the table. Beyond legal issues, car insurance companies can deny coverage for a car with a disabled or removed airbag, or hike your premiums up because of the increased potential for severe injuries in an accident. If your car came from the factory with a driver's airbag, you might want to reconsider that aftermarket wheel, no matter how cute it might look.