For Vehicles Equipped with an Air Bag
An air bag inflates with great force. DO NOT place
objects, including either installed or portable
wireless equipment, in the area over the air bag or
in the air bag deployment area. If in-vehicle
wireless equipment is improperly installed and the
air bag inflates, serious injury could result.
F F D D A A C C o o n n s s u u m m e e r r U U p p d d a a t t e e
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration's Center for
Devices and Radiological Health Consumer Update
on Mobile Phones:
1. Do wireless phones pose a health hazard?
The available scientific evidence does not show
that any health problems are associated with
using wireless phones. There is no proof,
however, that wireless phones are absolutely safe.
Wireless phones emit low levels of radiofrequency
energy (RF) in the microwave range while being
used. They also emit very low levels of RF when
in the standby mode. Whereas high levels of RF
can produce health effects (by heating tissue),
exposure to low level RF that does not produce
heating effects causes no known adverse health
effects. Many studies of low level RF exposures
have not found any biological effects. Some
studies have suggested that some biological
effects may occur, but such findings have not
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been confirmed by additional research. In some
cases, other researchers have had difficulty in
reproducing those studies, or in determining the
reasons for inconsistent results.
2. What is the FDA's role concerning the safety
of wireless phones?
Under the law, the FDA does not review the safety
of radiation-emitting consumer products such as
wireless phones before they can be sold, as it
does with new drugs or medical devices. However,
the agency has authority to take action if wireless
phones are shown to emit radiofrequency energy
(RF) at a level that is hazardous to the user. In
such a case, the FDA could require the
manufacturers of wireless phones to notify users
of the health hazard and to repair, replace, or
recall the phones so that the hazard no longer
exists.
Although the existing scientific data do not justify
FDA regulatory actions, the FDA has urged the
wireless phone industry to take a number of
steps, including the following:
•
•
Support needed research into possible biological
effects of RF of the type emitted by wireless
phones;
Design wireless phones in a way that minimizes
any RF exposure to the user that is not
necessary for device function; and
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