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Proper Use of Airbags and Seatbelts Tom T  |
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 When Princess Diana died in the car crash, I asked myself, "Why did everybody in the car die except the bodyguard?" Investigators discovered that the bodyguard was the only person in the car who was wearing a seatbelt and who had been protected during the accident by the deployment of an airbag. It was the combination of these two safety devices that saved the man's life.
According to several studies, airbags are saving lives. Since 1998, manufacturers have been required to install air bags in new cars. Take a look at some statistics:
* Airbags are reducing driver deaths by about 14 percent, and passenger bags reduce deaths by about 11 percent. (The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety)
* The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) estimates that more than 5,536 people are alive today because of their airbags.
* The NHTSA estimates that the combination of an airbag plus a lap/shoulder belt reduces the risk of serious head injury by 81 percent compared with a 60 percent reduction for belts alone.
Even with such impressive stats, there are still people out there that don't trust airbags. Why? Because inflating bags have caused some serious injuries and deaths. According to The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, since 1990, 162 deaths have been caused by airbags inflating in low severity crashes. These deaths include 60 drivers, 6 adult passengers, and 78 children between the ages of 0 and 11, including 18 infants (15 restrained in rear-facing infant seats and 3 on adult passengers' laps). Of the 78 children killed by passenger airbags, 61 are believed to have been unbelted or using lap belts only.
Of the 60 drivers killed by airbags, 38 are believed to have been unbelted. Several more in this group used the shoulder belt only or the lap belt only.
From these findings, it is clear that airbags and lap/shoulder belts work together as a system, and one without the other is not as effective.
The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety offers additional safety tips to get maximum protection from an airbag and decrease the possibilities of injuries. Consider the following: Serious inflation injuries occur primarily because of people's positions when airbags first begin inflating. Anyone, regardless of size or age, who is on top (or very close to) an airbag, is at risk. The highest risk group includes drivers who sit very close to the steering wheel (10 inches or closer). Understanding that airbag injury risk is related to position leads to a few simple steps that can eliminate the risks without sacrificing airbag benefits. Most drivers, even short ones, can get at least 10 inches from the steering wheel and still reach the pedals. The few who can't should consider pedal extenders (call 813/932-8566 for information about these).
It is also important to note that the improper use of a seatbelt (or lack of a seatbelt) can also cause a person to be too close to an airbag when it inflates. How? The person's body will move forward during hard braking or other violent maneuvers before a crash. So buckle up properly!
Infants in rear-facing restraints in front seats are also at high risk of injury or death from air bag deployment. As far as infants and young children are concerned, "The back is where it's at!" Make sure rear-facing restraints are secured to the vehicle with an adult safety belt in the back seat and the baby is buckled snugly in.
If there's no choice but to put a baby in the front seat, then an on/off switch for the passenger airbag is essential (ask your dealer about how to get one of these installed if the vehicle is not so equipped). But before you do this, remember the back seat is always safer. Even without airbags, kids riding in back are much less likely to be killed.
When babies outgrow their rear-facing restraints, they should graduate to forward-facing ones or booster seats attached to a vehicle's back seat with an adult safety belt. As kids later graduate to adult belts, proper restraint use is still essential. Don't put the shoulder portion of a belt behind a child or under the arm. A lap belt should be positioned so it's low and snug across a child's hips, not up over the abdomen.
Older children should continue riding in a back seat, and if there are too many children to put them all in back, then make sure the front seat is all the way back and the child is securely buckled in. Don't let the child lean forward, for example, to fiddle with the radio dials. This puts the child at a higher risk. If you can't control the child, you may wish to consider getting an on/off switch for the passenger airbag and turning it off.
Overall, airbags are a success, especially when used with lap/shoulder seatbelts. They have saved thousands of lives and prevented many more serious injuries. Follow the rules for seatbelt and air bag use, and you will enjoy peace of mind, knowing that you have done everything you can to insure the safety of your passengers.
'Til next time ... Keep Rollin'
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 With over 27 years in the automotive industry and nearly a decade in automotive talk radio, Tom Torbjornsen makes learning about cars easy with his personal manner, his expert advice, and his high energy and entertaining style. Tom has the unique gift of simplifying the complex and tearing down the technical, meeting you at your level of understanding. You will be encouraged as you gain the confidence to deal with problems related to the second most expensive purchase you will make in a lifetime your automobile.
Email Tom
Click here to visit the America's Car Show website
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