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Airbags

Automakers started installing driver airbags in the late '80s, adding them on the passenger side in the early '90s, and in light trucks in the mid '90s. Since their development, airbags have saved thousands of lives. However, airbags can be extremely dangerous when infants or young children are seated in front of them.

Airbags protect drivers and passengers during frontal crashes and are designed to work together with seat belts. But airbags and seat belts were designed to protect average-sized adult males, not children. That's why they pose a serious risk to children riding in the front seat. According to research conducted by CHOP, children exposed to airbags during a crash are twice as likely to suffer a serious injury.

Airbags and children

Kids under age 13 are safest when placed in the back seat of a vehicle, according to the American Academy of Pediatrics. Other airbag safety rules to follow include:

• Never place an infant in a rear-facing safety seat in the front seat with an airbag. The forces of the airbag will be directed at the infant's head, right in the airbag’s path as it comes out of the dashboard.
• Do not place a child in a forward-facing child safety seat in the front seat with an airbag. A forward-facing safety seat places the child close to the dashboard, right in the airbag’s path as it comes out of the dashboard.
• The rear seat is the safest place in the car for children ages 13 and under. If you don’t have enough seats in the back of your car for the number of children, visit a car seat check in your area where a trained expert will help evaluate your situation. You may need to arrange to use a safer vehicle with enough back seat positions to keep all kids safe.
• Children ages 13 and up need to wear a lap/shoulder belt when riding in the front seat. This will provide extra protection in the event of a crash.
• To keep your older child (age 13 and up) safe in the front seat:
• Move the front seat as far back as possible from the dashboard.
• Teach your child not to lean forward to change the radio dial or to insert CDs.
• Insist that your child sit upright against the seatback, with the seat belt snug at all times.

Front Airbags

Front airbags are designed to protect vehicle occupants in moderate-to-severe front-end crashes. They are located in the steering wheel to protect the driver and in the dashboard of most cars to protect passengers. Front airbags are not designed to protect vehicle occupants in side and rear impact or rollover collisions. Safety belts and age/size appropriate child safety seats provide the best protection in these types of crashes.

The Airbag System

The airbag system includes the airbag itself, a sensor, and a diagnostic unit that controls the system. In a head-on crash the vehicle's front-end crushes absorbing crash energy creating a softer stop for restrained occupants. An unrestrained or loosely restrained person will continue to move forward at the same speed until hitting the car's interior. Properly restrained occupants come to a more gradual stop, along with the vehicle. Airbags also help drivers and passengers come to a more gradual stop, preventing contact with a vehicle’s interior, and distribute crash forces more broadly across the body than with a seat belt alone.
 
As the crash happens, sensors send a signal to the airbag. A chemical reaction produces harmless nitrogen gas that fills the bag and pushes it out of its compartment. The whole process takes only about 1/20th of a second. (Half the time it takes you to blink!) The airbag then starts to deflate as the gas disappears, absorbing crash energy.

Airbag Improvements

Engineers have worked hard to improve airbags to provide better protection. These improved versions, known as 2nd-generation or depowered airbags, are still not designed for children. Children are best protected in the rear seat.

The newest generation of "advanced" airbags is designed to lessen the risk of an airbag-related injury or death. When a front-end crash occurs, advanced airbags inflate according to the seriousness of the crash and passenger size, posture, and proximity to the airbag. Sensors note these conditions and automatically deploy the airbag at a higher or lower force or perhaps not at all.

Having advanced airbags in your vehicle does not mean kids should ride up front. Children under age 13 are best protected in the rear seat. Some new vehicles come with side airbags in addition to frontal ones. They are designed to better protect occupants in side impact crashes. Side airbags, often called “curtain airbags,” can come out of the seat, the side of the seat, or from the roof above the windows. They are designed to protect the side of the body, including the head, chest, and pelvis, in a side impact crash.

Side curtain airbag
Click to open a larger version of this image.

While front seat side airbags are more common, some cars also have side airbags in the rear seat. Check your owner's manual and look for labels on the sides of the seats. Although they can help prevent injuries to adults in side crashes, these bags may pose a danger to children who are not properly restrained or leaning against the door. Although side airbags are smaller than frontal ones and inflate with much less force, injury could occur if your child’s head is too close to the airbag.

Here are some suggestions to help protect your child if your vehicle has front or rear side-impact airbags:

• Make sure your child does not lean against the area where the side airbag is stored.
• Do not place your child next to an active side airbag unless the vehicle manufacturer says that it is safe.
• All children should be properly restrained in child safety seats or seat belts based on their height and weight. Kids traveling in age-appropriate, correctly installed child restraints will be at less risk of serious injury.

On/Off Switches

The government requires that vehicles without a rear seat, such as pick-up trucks, come with an airbag on/off switch. If a child must ride in this type of vehicle, be sure to turn the airbag off. It’s important to remember to turn the airbag back on when an adult or teenager rides as a passenger.

In addition, some consumers with special circumstances may need to have an airbag on/off switch installed in their cars. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has made some exceptions for these consumers. Learn more about NHTSA’s recommendations for deactification.

If you’re not sure if your preowned or used car has airbags that are still usable, click on airbag usability.

Learn more:

• Watch a short video to learn more about airbags.
  This video will open and play in a new window.
• American Academy of Pediatrics. Airbag safety.