it s about preventing an accident from turning into a tragedy. the reason you probably have an air bag in your car is because the federal government has required carmakers to put them there. the government will not let a car company sell you a car that was built after 1998 unless it has an air bag, unless it has this device that s been proven to reduce the chances of serious damage should disaster strike. the auto industry was not psyched about that regulation, but that s why they are bound by regulations. this is one of the things the federal government does. it serves the interests of all of us by requiring industries to make their products as safe as possible. it s why you can t buy lawn darts anymore. fun. profitable, i m sure. also perfectly designed to puncture your skull. it s why you re not supposed to be able to buy toys made of lead or coded in lead paint. for kids these are cool but also perfect lead-poisoning delivery devices. for the airline industry it s a lot of stuff, i