Air bags, when combined with seat belts, are an effective safety feature that have saved many lives. It is estimated that airbags save at least 3,000 lives a year. However, there are questions about the safety of air bags with respect to child passengers.
Most air bag injuries occur for one of four reasons:
1. The driver is sitting too close to the air bag module (drivers should be at least 10 to 12 inches from the steering wheel)
2. A driver or passenger is riding without a seatbelt
3. An infant in a rear-facing child safety seat is in the front seat
4. Children under 13 sit in the front seat
Front air bags are designed to save adult lives. They are not designed for child passengers. For this reason, children under age 13 should always ride in the back seat. Air bags can seriously injure or even kill children who are in the front seat.
What about passenger-side front air bags?
Passenger-side front air bags reduce the risk of death in a car crash by 13.5 percent. But, this is only true for passengers age 13 and older. Passenger-side front air bags inflate at speeds up to 140 miles per hour (mph). If a child is sitting close to the airbag at the time of inflation, the blast of energy released can cause injury or death – especially if the child is not restrained in a properly fitted car seat or booster seat. The release of the airbag can cause severe injuries to a child even in a minor crash. But a car seat is not enough protection. A car seat places the child closer to the dashboard. If a child is in a rear-facing car seat in the front seat, the inflating air bag may strike the safety seat with enough force to seriously injure or kill the infant.
NEVER allow a child under age 13 to ride in the front seat. Under NHTSA’s new guidelines for child safety, the federal government now recommends that no child under the age of 13 be permitted to ride in the front seat of a vehicle.
What about rear-seat airbags?
Side curtain airbags do not deploy with the same amount of force as side-passenger airbags. Still, backseat passengers should be warned to never lean against the side windows and doors. Car seats and booster seats position a child a safe distance from the side airbag, so they don’t pose a danger to properly restrained children.
To learn more about car seat recommendations, read our library articles regarding child safety seat laws and recommendations.
There are many cases where malfunctioning airbags cause injury and sometimes, unfortunately, death. If you or a loved one has been injured or killed as a result of a malfunctioning airbag, you should contact a Board Certified Personal Injury Attorney to discuss your case.
Tony Denena and Chad Points are both Board Certified in Personal Injury Trial Law by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization. They have extensive experience helping families who have been injured or whose loved ones have been killed as a result of defective products. Call us TODAY at 877.307.9500 just to talk. There is NO OBLIGATION and if you are not satisfied after you speak with one of us, you do not have to hire our law firm, nor will you owe us anything for the consultation. The call is completely FREE!