Air bags save lives! They work best when everyone is buckled and children are properly restrained in the back seat. Children riding in the front seat can be seriously injured or killed when an air bag comes out in a crash.
An air bag is not a soft, billowy pillow. To do its important job, an air bag comes out of the dashboard at up to 200 miles per hour—faster than the blink of an eye. The force of an air bag can hurt those who are too close to it. Drivers can prevent air bag related injuries to adults and children by following critical safety points.
- Children 12 and under should always ride buckled up in the rear passenger seat.
- Infants should NEVER ride in the front seat of a vehicle with a passenger side air bag.
- Small children should ride in the rear passenger seat buckled in a child safety seat approved for their age and size. Check your vehicle owner's manual and the instructions provided with your child safety seat for correct use information.
- Everyone should buckle up with both lap AND shoulder belts on every trip. Shoulder straps should always be worn with the strap going over the chest, never under the arm.
- Driver and front passenger seats should be moved as far back as practical, particularly for shorter people, to prevent possible injury from a rapidly deploying air bag.