Steering wheel replacement, air bag delete

[targa871]

Hello all,
I know this may not be the safest mod, but with the cost associated with a new/used steering wheel & air bag, I am looking into putting a MOMO or Sparco wheel into my 1998 Boxster. I know it is do able & there is lots of choice so finding one that I like is not an issue.

My question is from a legal/insurance stand point. If I were to be involved an an accident are there any repercussions/issues I can be facing, opposed to hurting myself? Such as cancellation of insurance or fines for disabling a safety device.

Has anyone done this mod, 964,993,996 guys?
Has anyone had an accident with this mod & had any issues?
Thanks in advance.

[Kenny Boxster]

Interesting point you bring up here. Am planning on a smaller steering wheel myself. Usually people that delete the airbag have racing seats with 6 point harness and roll cage, thus compensating for the lack of airbag. Most of the people on the forum that have changed aftermarket steering wheels have the ones with airbags. E.g FVD steering wheel.

[targa871]

Thanks for the reply.
Anyone else chim in?

[AKnowles]

I personally would not remove my airbag since I know chest collisions are almost always fatal. From an insurance perspective, if you really want to know, call your insurance company and ask.

[urban]

Mortality Reduction with Air Bag and Seat Belt Use in Head-on Passenger Car Collisions

According to this study, airbag usage reduced 63% the mortality rate on head on collisions.