Could future airbags come with an expiration date?

Could future airbags come with an expiration date?

A recent article by Paul Eisenstein on NBCNews.com explores the possibility that airbags may simply get too old to be effective.

With the recent death of a Canadian motorist from an ARC airbag, some industry observers wonder whether the problem is not with the chemical used by Takata, but with the airbagês age. NHTSA administrator Mark Rosekind said last year that the agency is investigating whether age could be a problem. A consultant with Valient Market Research, which works closely with airbag suppliers, said the chemical in airbags should be changed at least every seven years, according to NBCNews.com.

Future onboard diagnostic systems could test airbags and alert the driver to possible malfunctions. Or, drivers could be advised to replace their airbags every set number of years. Another possibility: Airbags could come with an expiration date. They might even be disabled after that date.