Insurers Say Air-Bag Credit May End

Insurers said Tuesday they may not be able to easily identify people who have deactivated their auto air bags and are no longer eligible for an insurance discount for using the safety device.

The National Assn. of Independent Insurers is asking the government to make information about those consumers easy to get. Otherwise, the association said, it would be difficult for insurers to continue offering the discount.

“There’s the potential the marketplace will abandon the discounts and incentives for air bags,” said Terry Tyrpin, a group official.

The Illinois-based association represents about 560 insurers--including Allstate, Geico and United Services Automobile Assn.--that write more than 35% of the auto-insurance premiums in the U.S.

In November, federal regulators announced that people at higher risk from the potentially deadly punch of a deploying air bag could get an on-off switch for their air bags.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration said it will publish the vehicle identification numbers of consumers who receive government permission to get the on-off switches.

The insurers group has petitioned the safety agency to clarify how information will be collected and disseminated.