Air Bags, Safety Belts and Child Safety Seats

ll front seat occupants must be correctly positioned in order to optimize the benefits of a deploying air bag. The proper use of safety belts is an important part of correct positioning. Unbelted or improperly belted occupants can come into contact with the air bag module during pre-crash braking. Being near or against an air bag module when it deploys can result in serious or fatal injury.

Safety belts should always be worn with the lap belt low and snug across the hips and the shoulder belt across the chest. Shoulder belts should never be placed under the arm or behind the back. Front seat drivers and passengers should sit upright against the back of the seat. Passengers should adjust the seat as rearward as practical. Drivers should adjust the seat such that they position themselves away from the air bag module, while maintaining the ability to safely operate all vehicle controls. Moving the seat rearward, slightly reclining the seat back and/or tilting the adjustable steering wheel downward can change the driving position. Remember, NHTSA recommends there must be at least 10 inches distance between the steering wheel hub, where the air bag module is located, and the driver's breastbone.

Children are safest when properly restrained in a rear seat, whether the vehicle has an air bag or not. Infants should be restrained in rear-facing restraints until they reach 20 pounds and are at least one year of age. Never put a rear-facing infant restraint in the front seat of a vehicle with a front passenger air bag. The back of the rear-facing infant restraint rests too close to the air bag module, creating the potential for serious or fatal injuries from a deploying air bag.

After children reach 20 pounds and one year of age, they can be moved into forward-facing child restraints. When children exceed 40 pounds in weight, they should ride in belt-positioning booster seats until the vehicle safety belt fits properly (see page 12), which as a rule of thumb may be until they are at least 8 years old, unless they are 4'9" tall. Most booster seats accommodate children up to 80 lbs. Always follow the child restraint and vehicle manufacturers' instructions for proper use and installation of child restraints.

Pregnant women should always wear their safety belts. They should sit as far back as possible from the air bag with the lap portion of the belt correctly positioned over the hips (not the stomach) and the shoulder portion across the chest.

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