Air Bag Safety Q & As

Q: Should I put a rear-facing infant restraint in the front seat of a vehicle with a passenger side air bag?

A: No. Unless the vehicle is equipped with a cut off switch for the air bag and the air bag is shut off, under absolutely no circumstances should a parent place a rear-facing infant restraint in front of an air bag.

There is an extremely high risk of severe injury or fatality in this situation, and a child should never be subjected to this risk.

Even if the air bag is shut off or there is no air bag, the safest place for all children 12 and under is in the rear seat.

Many parents are concerned about having an infant rear-facing in the rear seat. However, the American Academy of Pediatrics stresses that a healthy baby buckled correctly in a rear-facing child seat is as safe as a baby placed in a crib for a nap or overnight sleep. The risk of serious injury in a crash is much greater than the risk of a healthy baby having a life-threatening health problem during a car ride.

If no rear seat is available in which to place the rear-facing child restraint, and another mode of transportation is available, consider using that alternative.

Q: Should I put a forward-facing child safety seat in the right front seat with an air bag? Will the child be safe if the air bag deploys?

A: NHTSA recommends placing all children 12 and under in the rear seat. That is the safest place. If no option exists other than seating a young child in the front seat, several steps must be taken.

First, the child needs to be properly restrained in the child seat.

Second, the vehicle seat needs to be pushed all the way back, to maximize the distance between the child and the air bag.

Q: My child is too old for a child seat. Should I allow my child to ride in the front seat with an air bag? Will the child be safe if the air bag deploys?

A: NHTSA recommends placing all children 12 and under in the rear seat. That is the safest place. If no option exists other than seating them in the front seat, several steps need to be taken.

First, the child needs to be properly restrained. This means a booster seat plus a lap/shoulder belt or a lap/shoulder belt alone for larger children, depending on the size of the child.

Second, the vehicle seat needs to be pushed all the way back, to maximize the distance between the child and the air bag.

Third, the child needs to be sitting with his or her back against the seat back, not wiggling around or leaning forward, with as little slack as possible in the seat belt in order to minimize forward movement in a crash.

Q: I’m a short person, so I sit very close to the steering wheel. What can I do to avoid serious injuries from the air bag?

A: It is important to remember that the number of drivers killed by air bags is small and that many more drivers are saved by air bags than are killed by them. A majority of the drivers killed by an air bag were not using their safety belts.

Others were positioned too close to the steering wheel at the time of the air bag deployment. All drivers need to be properly belted and sit as far away from the air bag as possible to allow the air bag to deploy.

Air bag risk is minimal if a driver can sit 10 to 12 inches or more away from the steering wheel. Short drivers should move the drivers seat rearward to allow space between the drivers chest and the steering wheel, and the seat back should be tilted back slightly.

To the extent possible, the driver should hold the steering wheel from the sides so that his or her arms aren't between the driver and the air bag. This arm positioning reduces the risk of arm and hand injuries.

While NHTSA has not analyzed the ease of use or safety implications of pedal blocks or extenders, it is aware that they are available for use by short stature drivers.

Q: Is it safe for short adults to be seated in the front passenger seat of a vehicle equipped with a passenger-side air bag?

A: Yes. However, all passengers should be properly restrained, regardless of size. All front seat passengers (adults and children) should move the seat as far rearward as possible, and recline the seat back slightly.

In order to allow the air bag to deploy safely, front seat passengers should avoid leaning or reaching forward and should remain seated against the vehicle seat back, with as little slack in the belt as possible to minimize forward movement in a crash.

Q: Is it safe for elderly people to be seated in front of an air bag?
A: Elderly people, like all other drivers and front seat passengers, should be properly restrained and should move the seat as far rearward as possible, being careful to remain seated against the vehicle seat back and keeping the arms away from the area in which the air bag will deploy.

Q: I am pregnant. Is it safe for me to be seated in front of a air bag?

A: NHTSA is currently reviewing the effect of air bags on pregnant women. NHTSA currently recommends that pregnant women wear their seat belts. The shoulder portion should be positioned over the collar bone.

The lap portion should be placed under the abdomen as low as possible on the hips and across the upper thighs, never above the abdomen.

Also, pregnant women should sit as far from the air bag as possible.

For more information or answers to other air bag-related questions, contact NHTSA’s Auto Safety Hotline at 1-800-424-9393 or http://www.nhtsa.dot.gov.