The Critical Importance of Proper Torque in Wheel Assemblies

Vehicles are usually designed at the same time as their specific wheels and tires to achieve optimum safety in the intended use of the vehicle. The tires designed for a light truck differ markedly from those designed for a compact car.

The Houston wheel hub defect lawyers at Denena Points, PC note that wheels and tires are generally marked with their sizes and load capacities because these numbers play key roles in ensuring your safety on the road. Wheels and tires must match before mounting onto a vehicle.

Over the life of your car or truck, you may need to replace the tires, the rims, even entire wheel hubs and assemblies. Instructions for mounting new rims or wheels include details about the types and numbers of fasteners required, lug nut attachments, torque requirements, and advice regarding how proper torque should be achieved and what tools should or should not be used to mount a wheel. Failure to follow the manufacturer’s installation procedures can lead to metal fatigue and breaking of stud bolts, and result in the wheels coming off while your car or truck is in motion.

Achieving the proper torque when installing wheel parts is necessary to achieve the clamping effect required to keep the wheel securely in place on the vehicle. A proper clamp load is created by using proper torque to secure the wheel nuts and lug nuts in place. Proper torque and clamp load means that the wheel studs will only stretch within their natural elastic limit of a few thousandths of an inch rather than overstretching, bending, and finally breaking.

Our Houston wheel hub defect lawyers emphasize that the load that a wheel system fastened with proper torque can support is far greater than the load a stud bolt can support without being properly torqued. Controlling the torque is the key to controlling the clamp load.

Sometimes a wheel is assembled using an air wrench or inadequate impact wrench. The great majority of air wrenches can’t be calibrated to torque. And using an impact wrench can cause the wheels to have 3 to 5 times the specified torque, which will overstress the wheel hub components. On the other hand, a cheap or worn out impact wrench or one with a low air pressure supply can lead to undertorquing and loose lug nuts. Improper torqueing alters the clamp load and bolt torque relationship, resulting in a “soft joint” leading to wheel system failure.

Once attachment holes have become misshapen from stress forces, for instance by loose lug nuts, and rims and hubs have become bent, proper mating of new wheel parts can no longer be achieved. The effects of loose lug nuts can’t simply be repaired. The entire wheel assembly, including the hub, must be replaced. And “tacking” the studs back on would form yet more loose connections leading to further metal fatigue, wheel damage, and heightened risk of injury or death in a wheel runoff accident. At the factory, rims and studs are hydraulically pressed in from the rear to form a secure wheel mounting with proper clamping. A press is generally the best way to securely mount a new wheel assembly.

When you’re having work done on your vehicle and its wheel assemblies, our Houston wheel hub defect lawyers urge you to make sure mechanics don’t cut corners. Cheap work can lead to wheels coming off as your vehicle is on the road. This can lead to serious accidents, including rollovers, one of the most dangerous types of crash.

Learn the necessary steps to take to protect your rights and interests after a serious injury accident.Download your free guide to building a strong accident claim.

More on wheel hub failure caused by metal fatigue

As our Pearland, Texas car accident attorneys mentioned in Part 1, a loose wheel will cause the wheel studs to break and then the wheel and tire to separate from the vehicle. The primary cause of a loose wheel is undertorquing or overtorquing the lug nuts, which is why responsible aftermarket rim manufacturers issue explicit instructions on the amounts of torque and types of calibrated wrenches to use in tightening the lug nuts. These instructions and the weight ratings for their products are generally available on their websites.

A broken stud bolt on the wheel is a clear warning that something is wrong in the wheel assembly and should be fixed. Yet wheel stud bolts are not always properly seated against the axle flange when replaced by mechanics. Most shops recognize that hydraulic presses should be used to install stud bolts, but some mechanics might try to tack them on, which provides insufficient grip and could endanger your safety.

The clamping forces of a full set of secure stud bolts hold the rim to the axle and are designed to exceed the road forces trying to pry the rim from the axle. But the Pearland, Texas car accident attorneys at Denena Points, PC emphasize that a compromised set of studs will produce clamping forces less than the road forces trying to pry the rim from the axle. And this destructive prying force will eventually succeed in tearing the wheel from the vehicle, leading to a very dangerous and potentially deadly wreck. The wheel separations that occur while the vehicle is in use can result in deadly accidents that maim or kill the victims. Very often the heavy, loose wheel, still moving with strong momentum, will strike another vehicle or a pedestrian with devastating consequences. And the car or truck from which the wheel separated will lose control and crash, frequently in a severe rollover accident.

Wheel detachments happen at the rate of around 40 to 60 per week in the United States. Research conducted in the United States and Canada found that approximately 45% to 50% of the wheel separations resulted from loose wheel nuts.

The costs in medical bills, lost lives, vehicle damage, and lost productivity time can easily run into the hundreds of thousands of dollars. It is far les costly for costly for auto shops to help you choose the right aftermarket part than to later face the high costs of a wheel separation accident attributable to their negligence. But holding responsible parties accountable for their negligence after you’ve been injured can be a challenge.

Contact the experienced Pearland, Texas car accident attorneys at Denena Points, PC for a free initial legal consultation to learn more. Reach us at 713-807-9500 or through our online contact form.

Choose the aftermarket additions to your vehicle carefully

Beware of aftermarket additions to your vehicle. As the recent spate of major recalls by Mazda, GM, Toyota, and other automakers demonstrates, plenty of things can be wrong with a car, truck, or SUV even after designers, engineers, and manufacturers have spent intense amounts of effort trying to build a perfect vehicle. Designers, engineers, materials experts, and others spend endless hours trying to make sure that all the parts of a vehicle are appropriate for its intended purpose and that these parts will work in harmony to give you a ride that is safe, stylish, and worry free.

But our Pearland, Texas car accident lawyers warn that this doesn’t always work. For instance, with the almost 3 million GM vehicles that have just been recalled, a spring in the ignition switch isn’t wound tight enough. So any jarring of the switch, such as from a heavy key ring or a bump in the road, might move the ignition out of the “run” position into the “off” or “accessory” position. This might not only kill the engine, but the power brakes and power steering as well, and leave the airbag triggering system without the electrical power to deploy the airbag when you then crash. Multiple deaths have been linked to this flaw that was built into the GM vehicles.

You might compound potential problems when you seek aftermarket enhancements to your vehicle. For instance, some GM ignition switches bought to repair the flaw were apparently just as defective as the ones they replaced, since both the improved part and the old part were made and sold under the exact same part number.

Some other enhancements, like the backup cameras you can add, are almost invariably a positive add-on. Others, like stereo systems and their components, have little potential to damage your vehicle other than perhaps leading to additional vehicle break-ins or to moments of distracted driving. But the Pearland, Texas car accident lawyers at Denena Points, PC caution you that replacing integral parts of your vehicle, like substituting new wheel rims, might lead to dangerous safety hazards that you won’t even know are present until they cause a crash.

Many heavy duty trucks come with sturdy tires and heavy duty wheel assemblies. But these are generally lackluster in appearance. Truck designers up in Michigan may not realize that here in Texas, our trucks are integral parts of our lives and identities. We want them to look good too.

But when you’re upgrading the appearance of your truck, be sure to do your research, because chances are the salesfolk at the shop won’t always do it for you. Know the maximum weight load your tires are rated for. The wheels of different vehicles, even different variations on the same year, make, and model, are carefully rated for the weight they can safely bear. Some trucks are specially built to haul trailers and other very heavy loads. If you tow heavy trailers, supplies, or equipment, know the added weight you’re rated to carry. And find rims that are designed for your vehicle and rated for those loads.

Our Pearland, Texas car accident lawyers note that even the same rim might come in several different versions specifically designed to go on particular variations of trucks. Aftermarket rims are also rated according to weight. Find the one that’s right for you and your specific truck. We reiterate that those selling you aftermarket rims might not check to make sure that the rim you selected is appropriate for your vehicle. They might think you’ve already done that. Or they might not know to do it. And the NHTSA won’t issue a recall because you and an auto parts shop have installed the wrong accessory on your vehicle.

If your vehicle overloads your aftermarket rims, the stud bolts holding the wheel onto the vehicle might crack and break over time from metal fatigue. The Pearland, Texas car accident lawyers at Denena Points, PC emphasize that then the wheel might suddenly come off as you are driving.

Crashes caused by wheels separating from the vehicle are often called wheel runoff crashes. These wrecks can result in rollovers, severe injuries, and death. The crashes come about due to failures in the wheel mounting system relating to the lug nuts and studs. These wheel system failures are mostly caused by the improper installation of a wheel that causes it to be loose or to become loose, such as failure to sufficiently tighten the lug nuts. The failures can also be caused by the metal fatigue that results when rims can’t adequately support the weight placed on them. And severe deterioration of the wheel and hub conditions caused by improper tightening of lug nuts and the sale and installation of unsuitable rims for a vehicle might inevitably lead to sudden wheel separation from the truck. Go to part 2 to learn more about the problem and how to prevent it.

990,000 Nissans Recalled, Passenger Airbag may not Deploy in Crash

Following GM’s long-delayed recall of 1.6 million cars for ignition switch defects that could cause airbags not to deploy in a crash, Nissan has recalled nearly 1 million vehicles for another type of defect that similarly could cause the front seat passenger’s airbag not to deploy in a crash.

Nissan said it’s aware of at least 3 crashes where the front passenger seat was reportedly occupied but the airbag did not deploy. The company also said it wasn’t aware of any fatalities related to the defect. However, the Houston Nissan recall lawyers at Denena Points, PC note that the failure of the airbags might have led to increased severity of front seat passenger injuries in these crashes.

In the Nissan vehicles affected by the recall, the defect that’s the source of the airbag problem is reportedly a federally mandated occupant classification system that’s supposed to determine whether a passenger occupies the front seat and also detect the size of that passenger. If the system determines that there is no front seat passenger, or that the passenger is a small child, it will turn off the airbag. But apparently factors such as high engine vibrations when the car is idling, or the seat becoming occupied when it was previously unoccupied, or a person sitting “out of position” can cause the system to determine that there’s no passenger (even when there is one) and turn off the airbag.

Our Houston Nissan recall lawyers understand that many people sit out of position. Out of position is basically where you don’t sit up straight, facing front and center like a crash test dummy. People with any kind of injuries or conditions that cause them pain in the normal seating position and many elderly people sit “out of position.”

Last April, Nissan had already recalled over 80,000 vehicles from the 2013 model year because the front passenger airbag might be turned off due to a strain gauge error. Nissan kept getting customer complaints about the occupant classification system for the airbags malfunctioning even after that April recall. So the company continued to monitor the problem, but concluded in September that there was no defect; it was just a case of occupants sitting “out of position.” (Christopher Jensen, New York Times, 3/27/14)

Our Houston Nissan recall lawyers emphasize that the current recall indicates that the company has decided the problem was due to a defect after all. Nissan’s change in stance might have been prompted in part by the intense scrutiny falling on GM and the NHTSA now after admissions that GM knew of their airbag defect and the NHTSA should have known for at least a decade before conducting the GM recall. One study of U.S. FARS (Fatality Analysis Reporting System) data has found more than 300 fatalities in the recalled GM vehicles that occurred when the airbags didn’t deploy properly. Letting a known defect go uncorrected might lead to hundreds of deaths and even more serious injuries.

The Nissan vehicles affected by the company’s current recall are:

29,000 Leaf electric cars;
544,000 Altima sedans;
183,000 Sentras;
124,000 Pathfinder SUVs;
6,700 NV200 taxis; and
64,000 Infiniti 2013 JX35s, 2014 QX60s, and 2014 Q50s.

Click the link to read more about the huge GM recall for a similar defect and the major controversy that surrounds it.

U.S. NHTSA Investigating Tesla Model S for Danger of Electrical Fires

An expensive electric vehicle, the Tesla Model S, has come to the attention of the NHTSA for 3 battery-related fires in 6 weeks. One in mid-October in Mexico involved a Tesla Model S burning up after a high-speed crash. Another in early November in Tennessee occurred when a trailer hitch hit by a driver in the road pierced the battery of the Tesla Model S and led to a fire. Our Houston car fire injury lawyers note that yet another blaze occurred when a driver near Seattle hit a metal object in the road that pierced the shield and the battery. So now the U.S. NHTSA is investigating the Tesla for the danger of electrical fires.

The battery for the Tesla model S is mounted under the passenger compartment. A quarter inch-thick metal shield surrounds the battery. The car has a six-inch ground clearance, but that clearance becomes slightly lower at highway speeds. And if the battery is pierced or damaged, it can lead to arcing and sparking that might cause a fire. The Houston car fire injury lawyers at Denena Points, PC mention that apparently the vehicle warns drivers when the battery is pierced and the car catches fire. Both the Seattle and the Tennessee drivers escaped the fires unharmed.

The lithium batteries in some hybrid and electrical vehicles have been flagged for fire dangers before. It is the very volatility of lithium batteries that make them so powerful and long-lasting compared to the ordinary type of chemical batteries in AA and other sizes that we use in so many of our toys and portable devices. The Tesla Model S, for instance, can travel up to 265 miles on a single charge. That’s about the same mileage I can get out of my car on a single tank of gas.

The U.S. NHTSA probe affects over 13,000 Model S vehicles from the 2013 model year. The results of the probe will likely not be available for months. Tesla is cooperating with the investigation and the company’s CEO says that if a problem is found, the company will repair the cars free of charge. Our Houston car fire injury lawyers report that Tesla has already issued some software updates and also updated its warranty to include fire damage.

Government data records approximately 194,000 vehicle fires annually on U.S. roads. More than 60% of those fires start in the engine compartment. The vast majority occurs in gas-powered vehicles. Currently, less than 1% of U.S. cars are electric. Around 300 people are killed and another 1,250 injured each year in these vehicle fires.

The Houston car fire injury lawyers at Denena Points, PC always offer a free, no obligation initial legal consultation to discuss the specific facts of your accident and evaluate your potential eligibility for a full financial recovery for your injuries. Put our more than 12 years of experience successfully resolving complex personal injury and wrongful death cases to work for your benefit. Call us today at 713-807-9500 or reach us through our online contact form to schedule your free consultation. We never charge you attorneys’ fees unless we win your case for you.

Be Aware of Your Tire’s Age, Wear, and Heat Stress in the Texas Summer

In Texas, if your tire has a hidden defect from the manufacturing process, or if it’s old or worn, you’re more likely to have a dangerous blowout or tire tread separation in the summer. Our Galveston tire blowout accident attorneys remark that this is because heat buildup in a tire stresses and weakens the tire.

How Heat Build Up in a Tire Endangers Your Ride

Heat builds up naturally in any tire in use due to friction with the roadway, vehicle travel speed, and the load the tire bears. Automakers and tire manufacturers have known for a long time that your chances of a dangerous rollover crash due to tire tread separation or a blowout increase with a tire’s age because a tire’s age and wear increase its susceptibility to heat stress and fatigue.

But most vehicle owners and drivers remain unaware of the links between tire age, heat, and tire blowouts or tread separations. The Galveston tire blowout accident attorneys at Denena Points, PCmention that your tire is coded with the week and year of the tire’s manufacture, but you might not have known the date was there or you might be unable to pick it out of the long string of numbers in which it’s embedded.

Your Tire’s Age could Dramatically Increase your Chances of a Rollover Wreck

Even if you don’t drive that much and you know that your tire is not worn, the tire has aged with the passage of time no matter how much use it has received. Tire aging results from thermo-oxidative degradation of the internal rubber that bonds the tires belts together. The oxidation process takes place over time and is accelerated by heat. With age and heat, tire composition materials become less elastic, more brittle, and more likely to crack throughout the tire tread.

Especially in the hot, sunny climates of the South and Southwest, crack propagation begins almost from the moment your tire is placed into service beginning at the high-stress internal belt edge. Our Galveston tire blowout accident attorneys caution that improper inflation of a tire and overloading of a vehicle also increases the threatening effects of tire aging and heat stress.

Replace Your Tires as They Age

You should always remain aware of your tire’s age and replace the tire before the internal cracks lead to a dangerous blowout or tread separation and rollover accident. Sudden tire blowouts or tread separations could cause you to lose control of your vehicle at a critical moment. Particularly if you are traveling at advanced highway speeds, our Galveston tire blowout accident attorneys point out that the loss of control could cause your vehicle to flip over in a rollover accident, resulting in severe or fatal injuries. Click the link to learn about a recent tire blowout accident in Texas that led to a dangerous rollover and hospitalized several people.

Chrysler Recalls Nearly 470,000 Jeep SUVs for Roll Away Injury Hazard

Chrysler has recalled about 470,000 Jeep SUVs in North America due to a dangerous roll away hazard that has already caused at least 26 crashes and some injuries. The recall affects Jeep Grand Cherokees from 2005 to 2010 and Jeep Commanders from 2006 to 2010. The problem stems from cracks in a circuit board that turns the four-wheel drive system on and off.

The cracks in the circuit board can cause faulty signals to be sent as you are starting your Jeep SUV. The faulty signal could cause the vehicle to suddenly shift into neutral, which could lead to a roll away. Since the vehicles can be started remotely before you even get in the SUV, this risk poses a particular hazard of injury or death. Chrysler says that it will update software on the Jeep SUVs to repair the problem free of charge.

Need Help after a Serious Injury caused by an Auto Defect? Download our FREE Accident Injury Guide

Click on this web page to download your free guide from the Pearland auto defect attorneys at Denena Points, PC. The book provides the information you need to understand what to do after a serous accident injury. Learn what steps you need to take to safeguard your rights and to build a successful injury compensation claim.

Our Pearland auto defect attorneys note that winning a compensation claim can be difficult when you’re up against the big automakers and their insurers. The cases are highly technical and require complex evidence and testimony. Get the experienced help you need to win your claim. Contact the Pearland auto defect attorneys at Denena Points, PC for a free, no obligation legal consultation.Reach us direct at 281-369-4363 or just fill out our online contact form to schedule your free consultation. Let us guide you down the road to a full financial recovery for your injuries.

Toyota Issues more US Recalls related to Crashes, Injuries and Defects

Our Houston car recall lawyers note that Toyota has just issued two more recalls totaling over 1 million vehicles in the United States. The recalls relate to dangerous defects that could cause crashes and resulting injuries. The larger recall affects slightly over 887,000 GM Pontiac Vibe, Toyota Corolla, and Toyota Corolla Matrix vehicles from the 2003 and 2004 model years.

The source of the recall is a defect in integrated circuits used in the supplemental restraint system (SRS) circuits that could short out and overheat, damaging the circuits and causing the front airbags and seat belt pretensioners to inadvertently deploy.

Crashes and Injuries have resulted from the Inadvertent Airbag Deployments

Initially, Toyota had said that no accident or injuries had resulted from the defect. But the company has since admitted that it knows of at least two crashes from the inadvertent airbag deployment as well as 46 reports of airbag problems and 18 U.S. cases of abrasion injuries from the defect.

Toyota and GM said they would notify owners of the vehicles and that dealers would install free of charge a supplemental harness with an electrical filter between the airbag control module and the wire harness. Concerned owners of the Toyotas can reach the company at 1-800-331-4331 and Pontiac Vibe owners can call GM at 1-800-620-7668.

The Second Toyota Recall Results from a Defect in the Lexus IS

Our Houston car recall lawyers also mention Toyota’s other recall that involves a defect in the wiper arm nut of about 270,000 2006 through 2012 model year Lexus IS vehicles. The loose arm nut could cause the wipers to become inoperative if they have to push anything heavier than rain (such as snow) off the window, resulting in decreased visibility. Toyota says it knows of 25 incidents related to this defect. Lexus and Toyota dealers will repair the defect in affected vehicles for free.

Contact the Houston Car Recall Lawyers at Denena Points, PC if You’ve been Injured because of Inadvertent Airbag Deployment

If a car manufacturer’s design or manufacturing defect has resulted in injury to you or a family member, you might be entitled to a full financial recovery for your expenses and losses related to the incident, including the costs of any future medical care required because of the injury. At Denena Points, PC, our Houston car recall lawyers have more than 15 years of experience holding car makers accountable for the harm they’ve caused due to safety defects.

We offer a free and confidential initial legal consultation to discuss your case and evaluate your potential eligibility for financial compensation. You have no obligation to hire an attorney. And if you choose to hire us to aggressively pursue your claim for you, we charge you no attorneys’ fees unless we win your case for you. Contact us today for your free consultation. Reach us at 281-369-4363 or through our online contact form.

Top 4 Airbag Safety Tips for Adults Explained by Houston Airbag Lawyer

Your airbag defect lawyer Houston emphasizes that while airbags can save lives, they can also cause serious or fatal injuries to vehicle occupants that are not properly restrained or too close to the airbag when it deploys. Airbags deploy at speeds approaching 200 mph.That represents quite an impact. And vehicle occupants unrestrained by seatbelts who are thrown into the deploying airbag by the additional force of the crash, pre-crash braking, or steering face the risk of fatal injury.

You can reduce your Risk of Airbag Injury by following these 4 Important Safety Tips:

1) Adults should be properly restrained inside the vehicle using their lap and shoulder seatbelts. The lap belt should be worn under the abdomen and low across the hips. The shoulder belt should be worn over the collarbone and away from the neck. It should cross over the breastbone.

2) Driver and passenger front seats should be positioned as far back away from the airbag location as possible. There should be at least 10 inches between vehicle occupants and the airbags.

3) Statistically, the back seat is the safest in the vehicle in the event of a crash.

4) If you have an airbag “on-off” switch, always check it before every journey. The switch should be “on” for adult passengers, except in those rare cases where a doctor recommends against it due to a person’s sensitive medical condition.

Parents interested in learning the critical safety tips to help protect their children from airbag injuries should read this article from the airbag defect lawyers, Houston, at Denena Points, PC. And if you need help after a family member has been injured by an airbag, don’t hesitate to contact us at 281-369-4363 or through our online contact form. FREE, no obligation legal consultation.

Airbag Defect Lawyer Houston Explains Key Airbag Safety Tips to Know

Airbag defect lawyer Houston notes: To do their job of protecting you in the event of a crash, airbags inflate suddenly at speeds of up to 200 mph. This sudden, strong inflation force can cause serious or fatal injury to those too close to the bag as it inflates or to young and small vehicles occupants.

The U.S. NHTSA claims that airbags saved almost 26,000 lives between 1987 and 2008. But during that same time period, scores of people, most of them young children, died from injuries received from the airbags themselves. And in many cases, our airbag defect lawyers Houston know that those airbags had deployed when they shouldn’t have because of manufacturing or design defects.

Did an Airbag Needlessly Injure You or Your Family Member? Contact us for Strong, Effective Legal Help

Sometimes manufacturing or design defects cause airbags to deploy when they shouldn’t. Other defects might prevent their deployment in the event of a crash. Either type of defect could lead to unexpected serious or fatal injuries to vehicle drivers or passengers.

If you don’t know where to turn after a serious airbag injury, don’t hesitate to reach out to our airbag defect lawyers Houston. We have 15 years of experience helping people achieve full financial recoveries after a grievous injury has changed their lives. Call or contact an airbag defect lawyer Houston from Denena Points, PC. We can be reached anytime through our online contact form. Or just call us at 281-369-4363.

Our firm understands the heavy burdens and struggles you and your family face after a severe injury. And we can help. Call today to get your FREE, no obligation legal consultation. Start your journey on the road to financial recovery now.

Important Airbag Safety Tips You need to Know

1) If adult vehicle occupants are not properly restrained by seatbelts or young occupants aren’t properly restrained in child safety seats, they could be too close to the airbag when it inflates and suffer catastrophic injury.

2) The back seat is the safest place for all children under 13 years of age. Our airbag defect lawyer Houston emphasizes that the back seat is safer for adult passengers too in the vent of a crash.

3) If you have an airbag “on-off” switch, always check it before every journey. A survey showed that these switches were incorrectly left “on” for child passengers under 13 almost 50% of the time. The switch should be “on” for adult passengers, except in those very few cases where a physician recommends against it due to sensitive medical conditions.

4) Never place an infant in the front seat of a vehicle with a passenger air bag.

5) ALL children should be secured and properly restrained inside vehicles in belt-positioning booster seats, car safety seats, or lap and should seatbelts correct for their size. Newer vehicles allow shoulder belt positioning adjustment on the side pillar of the vehicle to improve fit.

6) Infants and toddlers should ride in rear-facing car safety seats until they are two years old or reach the highest weight or height permitted by their safety seat’s manufacturer.

7) Children over two or those that have outgrown the rear-facing seat height or weight limits should use a forward-facing car safety seat with a harness until they reach the upper weight or height limits permitted by the seat’s manufacturer.

8) Children who have outgrown the forward facing seat with a harness should ride in abelt-positioning booster seat until the vehicle’s seatbelt will fit them properly. Our airbag defect lawyers Houston understand that the vehicle seatbelt will generally fit when the child has reached a height of 4’9″ and they’re between 8 and 12 years of age.

9) Once the vehicle seatbelt will properly fit the child, he or she should always use both thelap and shoulder belt for safety.

10) Children that are not properly restrained and who are seated near a side impact airbagmight risk serious injury if the airbag deploys. Pre-crash braking and steering move unrestrained children and adults too close to the airbags. This can turn a 10 mph crash into a severe 140 mph impact between the person’s head and the airbag inflating at 200 mph.

11) If an older child must ride in the front seat, move the vehicle seat back as far away from the frontal air bag as possible and make sure that the child is properly restrained in the vehicle for the child’s size and age.

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