<P> On 11 July 1984, the United States government amended Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard 208 (FMVSS 208) to require cars produced after 1 April 1989 to be equipped with a passive restraint for the driver . An airbag or a seat belt would meet the requirements of the standard . Airbag introduction was stimulated by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration . However, airbags were not mandatory on light trucks until 1997 . </P> <P> In 1998, FMVSS 208 was amended to require dual front airbags, and reduced - power, second - generation airbags were also mandated . This was due to the injuries caused by first - generation airbags, though FMVSS 208 continues to require that bags be engineered and calibrated to be able to "save" the life of an unbelted 50th - percentile size and weight "male" crash test dummy . Technical performance and validation requirements for the inflator assembly used in airbag modules are specified in SAE USCAR 24 - 2 . </P> <P> Some countries outside North America adhere to internationalized European ECE vehicle and equipment regulations rather than the United States Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards . ECE airbags are generally smaller and inflate less forcefully than United States airbags, because the ECE specifications are based on belted crash test dummies . In the United Kingdom, and most other developed countries there is no direct legal requirement for new cars to feature airbags . Instead, the Euro NCAP vehicle safety rating encourages manufacturers to take a comprehensive approach to occupant safety; a good rating can only be achieved by combining airbags with other safety features . Thus almost all new cars now come with at least two airbags as standard . </P> <Table> <Tr> <Td> </Td> <Td> The examples and perspective in this section may not represent a worldwide view of the subject . You may improve this article, discuss the issue on the talk page, or create a new article, as appropriate . (September 2008) (Learn how and when to remove this template message) </Td> </Tr> </Table>

When were airbags made mandatory in the uk
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