Safe-T Buzz Tip: What You Need to Know About Air Bags

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has studied the effectiveness of vehicle air bags and has determined that air bags save thousands of lives each year. However, air bags must be used properly to be effective rather than destructive.

All front seat occupants must be correctly positioned to optimize the benefits of a deploying air bag. The proper use of safety belts is an important part of correct positioning. Unbelted or improperly belted occupants can come into contact with the air bag module during pre-crash braking. Resting near or against an air bag module when it deploys can result in serious or fatal injury.

Safety belts should always be worn with the lap belt low and snug across the hips and the shoulder belt across the chest. Shoulder belts should never be placed under the arm or behind the back.

Front seat drivers and passengers should sit upright against the back of the seat. Passengers should adjust the seat as far rearward as practical. Drivers should adjust the seat such that they position themselves away from the air bag module, while maintaining the ability to safely operate all vehicle controls. Moving the seat rearward, slightly reclining the seat back and/or tilting the adjustable steering wheel downward can change the driving position. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has determined that there must be at least 10 inches of distance between the steering hub, where the air bag module is located, and the driver’s breastbone.

Children are safest when properly restrained in a rear seat, whether the vehicle has an air bag or not. Infants should travel in rear-facing restraints until they reach 20 pounds and are at least one year old. Never put a rear-facing infant restraint in the front seat of a vehicle with a front passenger air bag. The back of the rear-facing infant restraint rests too close to the air bag module, creating the potential for serious or fatal injuries for a deploying air bag.

Air bags, while they save lives, are but one of many important vehicle safety systems. It is critical that occupants always properly wear their safety belts and remember:

• Never put a rear-facing infant restraint in the front seat of a vehicle with a front passenger air bag. 
• Children 12 and under should be properly restrained in a rear seat. 
• Drivers should sit with at least 10 inches between the center of their breastbone and the center of the steering wheel.
• Air bags deploy only once. 
• Safety belts help restrain occupants during the initial and any following collisions, if the vehicle strikes more than one object. 
• Safety belts help keep front seat occupants in position to maximize an air bag's effectiveness.

Remember, very close or direct contact with an air bag module during deployment can cause serious or even fatal injury. Front air bags are designed to deploy only in moderate to severe frontal or near-frontal collisions, and do not reduce the risk of injury in rear, side or rollover crashes. Safety belts help reduce injury risk in many types of crashes.