Airbags Are Not Designed For Children

Air bags are standard equipment in almost all new cars and are designed to provide supplemental protection provided by safety belts in frontal crashes, with the emphasis on supplemental. Air bags are designed to limit head, neck and chest injuries by creating a cushion between the occupant and the steering wheel, dashboard, windshield and other surfaces. But they only supplement safety belts, they do not replace them! They do however increase your chance of surviving frontal crashes which account for approximately half of all crash deaths and serious crash injuries.

Air bags have saved thousands of lives in accidents and have a good overall safety record but unfortunately, there are risks posed by air bags.

Air bags are designed to cushion the head as it moves forward or sideways after impact, thereby offering protection to an average-sized adult. They are deployed within five-tenths of a second after impact at speeds of between 225 and 320 kilometers per hour. At this speed it stands to reason that a deploying airbag can cause serious or even fatal injuries if you are not properly positioned or restrained.

Wearing a properly adjusted seatbelt and adjusting the front seats of the vehicle as far back as possible will reduce the chances of injury. Ideally there should be at least 25cm distance between the centre of the driver’s chest and the steering wheel to allow sufficient room for the airbags to inflate.

Keep the space between you and the airbag clear so objects aren’t pushed towards you when the airbag inflates if your vehicle has side airbags or curtains in the rear.

Whether you're a child, a frail senior citizen or an able-bodied adult the safest place to ride in any car is in the back seat, properly restrained, away from the impact of head-on collisions. This is even more the case in vehicles fitted with airbags. Because of the potential dangers associated with the deployment of air bags it is recommended that children aged 12 and under ride in a vehicle's rear seat in properly secured child restraints.

The bad news about air bags is that even low speed crashes can deploy an air bag that can cause serious injury or even kill children, short adults or any passengers who are improperly belted. More than 100 children have been killed by deployed airbags and in most of these fatalities, the children were riding in the front seat, either in a rear-facing child safety seat, unbuckled or not wearing the shoulder portion of the safety belt.

This is why it is important to be aware of the potential dangers of air bags and how to properly protect children and adults from any risks associated with them.

Surveys indicate that as many as 35% of young children ride unrestrained. Air bags pose special hazards for any children who ride unrestrained or incorrectly restrained in the front seat. Pre-crash braking can cause an unrestrained child to be thrown against the dashboard in the vicinity of the passenger air bag. This could activate the airbag and the inflating airbag and its plastic cover can impact the out of position child with sufficient force to seriously injure or even kill the child.

Rear-facing safety seats are designed for use in the rear seat of a vehicle. Placing the infant in the front seat of a motor vehicle with a passenger-side air bag is extremely dangerous as during a forward impact, the rapidly inflating air bag could strike the safety seat with enough force to seriously injure or kill the infant.

Forward-facing safety seats, used for toddlers and older children, will place children closer to the dashboard than the normal adult seating position. Therefore, the safest practice is to place all child safety seats in the back seat of the vehicle. The vehicle seat should be adjusted as far back as possible from the dashboard in instances when you have no other choice but to place a forward-facing safety seat in the front of a vehicle with a passenger-side air bag.

In conclusion a few tips to avoid injuries associated with airbags:

- Always wear seat belts and ensure that all passengers are properly restrained.
- Seat children age 12 and under in the rear, properly restrained.
- Do no hunch forward over the steering wheel or dashboard
- Do not lay your arm on top of the steering wheel; it will be forced backward into your face if the airbag deploys.
- Do not allow passengers to rest their feet on the dashboard as their feet and legs will be pushed back at them violently if the airbag deploys.
- Sit up straight with your back against the seat and your feet flat on the floor.
- Never place books or heavy items on the top of the dashboard
- Move the front seats as far back as reasonably possible to allow sufficient space for the airbag to deploy in the event of a crash.
- Have pedal extensions installed if your legs are too short to reach pedals comfortably when seated with your chest 25 cm from the steering wheel, or if you cannot see over the steering wheel without leaning forward.

Your car insurance will cover the replacement of you airbag in the event of an accident. It is your responsibility as driver to ensure the safety of all the passengers in your vehicle.