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What Safety Precautions Should You Take With Air Bags?
Home » Automobiles » Air Bags » What Safety Precautions Should You Take With Air Bags?Researchers have determined that the risk zone for driver air bags is the first 2 to 3 inches of inflation. By placing yourself 10 inches from your driver air bag it will give you a clear margin of safety. Measure this distance from the center of the steering wheel to your breastbone. If you currently sit less than 10 inches away, you can adjust your driving position by moving your seat to the rear as far as possible while still reaching the pedals comfortably.
You can also slightly recline the back of your seat. Although car designs vary, most drivers can achieve the 10 inch distance even with the driver seat all the way forward by slightly reclining the back of the seat. You can point the air bag toward your chest, instead of your head or neck, by tilting your steering wheel downward.
An air bag can seriously injure or even kill an unbuckled child who is sitting too close to it or is thrown toward the dash during emergency braking. Children 12 and under should ride buckled up in a properly installed, age-appropriate rear car seat. Infants should be placed in rear-facing child seats and should never rid in the front seat of a car that has a passenger side air bag. If your child over one year old must ride in the front seat with a passenger side air bag, they should be in a front facing child safety seat, a booster seat or a properly fitting lap/shoulder belt, and the seat should be moved back as far as possible.
Resources:
WWW.SAFECAR.GOV
WWW.CITIZEN.ORG
WWW.NHTSA.DOT.GOV
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