Fluffy pillows? Hardly. While air bags have saved tens of thousands of lives, they can be deadly for children, who can’t withstand the force of a safety device that inflates at up to 200 miles per hour.
That’s why it’s impossible to drive safely with children younger than 12 in the front seat. Even if their seatbelts are buckled, those children stand a much greater chance of dying in a crash than if there had been no air bag at all.
Indeed, the safest place for children is in the back seat, away from the impact of a frontal air bag.
That’s what Collision Guard recommends, based on the following findings:
Data/Statistics
- When an air bag deploys, children who are riding in the front seat and buckled are 31 percent more likely to be killed than if there had been no air bag at all, a study by the Harvard Center for Risk Analysis finds. If the child is not restrained, the chance of death is 84 percent higher.
- The safest place for children younger than 12 years old is in the back seat, away from an air bag. Children are up to 29 percent less likely to die in a crash if they are riding in a back seat versus in the front.
- Some vehicles have an ON/OFF switch for air bags. However, one survey found that 48 percent of motorists incorrectly left the switch in the ON position when traveling with a child in the front seat.
- Although dangerous for children, air bags saved 25,782 lives between 1987 and 2008, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.
Tips/Awareness
- Avoid having children ride in the front seat. If that’s not possible, push the seat all the way back and fasten your child’s seatbelt.
- Never buckle a rear-facing child seat into the front of your vehicle. Air bags deploy at up to 200 miles per hour, which could cause serious injury or death if an infant is traveling in the passenger seat.
- For parents, do not sit too close to the steering wheel. Although air bags have saved thousands of lives, small-statured adults could be injured if they are sitting less than 10 inches from the steering wheel.
Technology/Gadgets
Air bag ON/OFF switch
If you can’t avoid shuttling children in the front seat – maybe your car doesn’t have a back seat – here’s a gadget that will turn off the air bag for you. Collision Guard found the switch for $120.
* Note: Adding an air bag ON/OFF switch requires federal approval. Submit your request here. The authorization form then will arrive within two weeks.
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