A Guide to Airbag Safety: Behind the Wheel

Written by Kelly Thompson

Most of the time, we take our air bags for granted, and we shouldn't. The fact is that when a crash occurs, they’re the first line of defense against injury. Knowing some best practices and precautions can help make sure they’re as effective as possible.

All vehicles produced after September 1, 2006 have third-generation frontal air bags, known as advanced air bags. These use sensors to determine the weight of the front seat occupants, whether or not they’re wearing a seatbelt, and if the air bag should even be deployed.

A Few Details Driver's Should Know:

• Air bags are only considered safe when used with seatbelts. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), the majority of drivers killed by air bags were not wearing a seatbelt.
• Drivers and passengers in the front of the vehicle should always be seated as far back from the air bags as possible. If you’re a shorter driver, leaning the seat back will increase the distance between you and the air bag while keeping you close enough to drive.
• You may have been told to hold the steering wheel at “10 and 2,” but keeping your hands and arms to the side of the steering wheel is safer in a car with air bags. If your air bag deploys and your hands are at “12” on the wheel, your arms are directly in the path of that rapidly inflating bag, which increases your risk of injury.
• If your steering wheel can be adjusted, tilt it toward your chest, not your head. However, if you’re pregnant, never tilt the wheel toward your abdomen.

Kids and Airbag Safety

While life-saving for adults, air bags are potentially fatal for children. The NHTSA says more than 100 children in the front seat have died in car accidents as the result of an air bag being deployed. Some were infants in rear-facing safety seats. Air bags deploy very quickly, and this impact can be dangerous to young children, even if they’re wearing a seatbelt.

Although it’s not a law in Indiana (see below), the American Academy of Pediatrics recommends that all children under age 13 ride in the back seat of vehicles – regardless of whether the passenger air bag has been turned off or not. The back seat is further from the dash and windshield of a car, both of which present obvious dangers during impact. Unlike adults, a child’s immature skeleton can’t sustain this type of impact against air bags and front-seat restraints.

The NHTSA says there is no standard height or weight that can guarantee safety in the front passenger seat because all vehicles are equipped with unique air bags. For that reason, it’s best to keep children in the back seat whenever possible.

Airbag laws

If you must put a child in the front seat, choose the child who can be seated furthest from the air bag.

If you are selling a vehicle in which the air bags have been disconnected or deployed and not replaced, you must provide that information on the bill of sale and to the purchaser so they know they won’t have functioning air bags.

In Indiana, installing air bags that don’t comply with federal safety regulations, or selling a vehicle with such air bags is a Class A misdemeanor. If a person is injured in an accident due to the non-compliant or faulty air bags, the offense becomes a Class D felony.

If you must have air bags replaced in your vehicle, make sure the work is done by a reputable automotive service shop. The NHTSA is warning drivers to be aware of counterfeit air bags that may have been installed in some vehicles in the last three years. These air bags are known for consistent malfunctioning.

For more information about air bag safety and laws, check out the NHTSA website.