303 Died in G.M. Crashes With Failed Air Bags, Safety Group Says

As lawmakers press General Motors and regulators over their decade-long failure to correct a defective ignition switch, a new accounting of federal crash data shows that 303 people died after the air bags failed to deploy on two of the models that were recalled last month.

The calculation, in an analysis commissioned by a safety watchdog, adds to the mounting reports of problems that went unheeded before General Motors announced last month that it was recalling more than 1.6 million cars worldwide because of the defective switch.

The analysis looked at cases in which the air bags failed to deploy, but did not attempt to evaluate what caused the crashes.