If my car had air-bags, I'd be happy to have them fail. I feel safe enough in my car with the seat belt on, and I don't want to meet another air-bag.
Was driving our Honda Civic(what a piece of crap car) a few years ago when an unlicensed, uninsured driver in an Acura(costlier than the Civic, but he couldn't afford insurance) decided to do a U-turn directly in front of me. I T-boned his car, both my air-bags were deployed. The seat belt would have stopped me just fine, but I was thrust forward just enough to have my face smacked by the air-bag - felt like someone had slapped my face with an open hand as hard as they could. Slammed my sunglassses against my eyeballs, my eyeballs actually ached for a day or two like they were bruised. The passenger side bag deploys upward from the dash - it broke the windshield. The part you don't think about is trying to catch a breath afterward. You exhale after being smacked in the face, and since the bag is packed with a powder, like talcum, to keep it from sticking together, your next inhale of powdered oxygen just about makes you choke.
I'm quite happy without air-bags, thank you. I don't doubt for a second that children have been killed by these torture devices. They do serve one purpose, makes people feel all warm, fuzzy and safe which sells plenty of Volvos. Side impact bags? How about a roundhouse punch to the temple?!

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Dave
1995 C280
1999 Triumph Daytona 955I - my speed fix.
1982 300TD - Gone, but not forgotten.