According to GM Canada, an airbag propels out of a dashboard at up to 320 kilometres per hour – faster than the blink of an eye. Though they are designed to absorb the impact of a crash for adult motor vehicle passengers and drivers, children can suffer major injuries from an air bag.
Air Bag Safety Recomendations
To keep children injury-free while riding in your car, consider these safety recommendations:
- Place small infants in rear-facing child safety seats in the backseat.
- Place toddlers over 1 year old and at least 9 kilograms in forward-facing convertible safety seats in the backseat of the vehicle. Since these car seats would situate the child several centimetres closer to the dashboard, they pose a risk for air bag injuries if they are placed in the front seat. Therefore, they must be placed in the backseat only.
- Place children who have outgrown convertible safety seats but do not fit correctly with a lap/shoulder seat belt in a car booster seat in the back seat of the vehicle.
- Children under age 12 should ride in the backseat of the vehicle with a seat belt securely fastened.
If you must ABSOLUTELY seat children under age 12 in the front seat, conduct the following safety precautions to reduce their risk of injury:
- Restrain children in a safety seat appropriate for their age.
- Push the seat all the way back to provide as much distance between the dashboard and the seat as possible.
- Require that children sit with their backs firmly pressed against the seat. Do not allow them to wiggle or lean forward.
- Tighten the seat belt as much as possible to reduce their movement in the event of a crash.
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