Air Bag Safety

Air Bag Safety
Automotive air bags are designed to help save lives. They are not, however, the sole source of protection to rely on while driving.

Air bags save lives, but they do not reduce the importance of seat belt use. Because air bags deploy at explosive speeds, they can harm an unrestrained person - not using a seat belt or restraint can reduce air bag effectiveness due to the increase in the potentially damaging impact force between the vehicle occupant and the deploying air bag.

To practice good air bag safety, place children 12 years and under in the rear seat, with seat belts securely fastened. If a child is riding in the front seat when an airbag deploys, the impact potentially could be fatal.

Air Bag Safety Facts:

All children age 12 and under should be buckled up in the rear seat of the vehicle.
More than 50,000 infants and children are injured or killed in automobile accidents each year. (Source: NHTSA)
Over 75 percent of highway crashes occur within 25 miles of home. (Source: Texas Agricultural Extension Service)
Safety belt use has failed to increase over the past four years despite the proliferation of driving safety educational programs. (Source: NHTSA)