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Air bags save thousands of lives each
year, according to The National Highway Traffic Safety
Administration (NHTSA). In frontal crashes, air bags reduce
deaths among drivers by about 30 percent and among passengers by
27 percent.
[Children and Air Bags - Video]
Air bags, however, can be dangerous. If small children sit
unbelted in the front seat, they can be catapulted into the path
of a deploying air bag, which inflates with great force. This
risk also applies to small adults—who must sit close to the
steering wheel in order to reach the pedals—pregnant women and
the elderly. Infants in rear-facing safety seats on the
passenger side can be severely injured because their heads are
in the direct path of an inflating air bag. If your airbag is
stolen or it deploys, you must get a new one, but you will be
reimbursed under the comprehensive portion of your auto
insurance policy.
Preventing air bag injuries
Drivers should have all children sit in the backseat wearing a
safety belt. Infants should be placed in rear-facing car seats
and put in the backseat. Small adults should move the seat back
so that their breastbone is at least 10 inches from the air bag
cover.
If this is not possible, air bag switches can be installed so
that the vehicle owner has the option of turning the bag off or
on, depending on the situation. In January 1998, NHTSA allowed
auto dealers and repair shops to begin installing air bag
cut-off switches. Before the switch can be installed, vehicle
owners must complete a four-step process:
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Obtain an information brochure and
request form from NHTSA, dealerships or repair shops
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Return the form to NHTSA
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Receive authorization from NHTSA after it
reviews the case
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Take the vehicle to the service shop
along with the authorization from NHTSA which certifies that
the owner has read the brochure and met one of the four
eligibility classifications:
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rear-facing infant seat can be in the
front (necessary if the vehicle has no back-seat)
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driver's seat cannot be adjusted to
keep more than 10 inches between the driver and the
steering wheel
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putting a child 12 or under in the
front seat can not be avoided
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having a medical condition that puts
them at risk of injury when an air bag deploys.
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