What You Should Know About Airbag Safety
Car technology has come a long way. GPS systems make it easier than ever to find our destination quickly. Bluetooth allows you to talk to family and friends without ever having to take your hands off the wheel. Backseat DVD players keep children entertained and quiet through long car rides.
Not only has technology made the drive easier, but it has also made it incredibly safe too. Seat belts and air bags have saved millions of lives.
Air bags save lives, but they can be dangerous too.
When regarding the deployment of your air bag during a crash, there are two things to keep in mind: (1) the air bag is only a supplemental safety device; and (2) you need to take safety precautions in order to minimize the risk of your air bag actually causing injury when deployed.
In every vehicle, the primary restraint system are the lap and shoulder belts. These are one of the most important safety features of your car and it is likely that other features cannot work properly if you aren’t wearing yours. In short, your air bags won’t help much in a car crash if you aren’t buckled first.
Together, safety belts and air bags can greatly reduce your risk of injury or death during an accident. Still in order to keep your airbags safe for use, you need to be using them properly.
For this reason the Florida Highway Patrol and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration have put out a few airbag safety tips for you to follow.
- You must use your seat belt alongside the air bags. This means that everyone in the car must buckle up with both lap and shoulder belts on every single trip.
- If you are the one driving, you should move your seat to the rear as far as you can while still being able to reach the pedals and controls comfortably.
- Recline the back of the seat slightly. If this makes it challenging to see the road, raise the seat. However, if your car doesn’t have that feature then you should try to raise your body with a firm and non-slippery cushion.
- It is recommended that adult passengers ride about 10 inches from the air bag. Children that are 12 or younger should not be placed in the front seat if at all possible. Allow them to ride in the backseat instead.
- If you have an adjustable steering wheel, try to tilt it downward. By doing this, you will cause the air bags to point towards your chest rather than your head and neck.
- When you are trying out a new, used, or leased car, think about the type of safety features and controls including how the air bags work.
Brian O. Sutter has been Board Certified in Florida Workers’ Compensation since 1990 and re-certified in 1995, 2000, 2005, 2010 and 2015.
