How to Reduce Airbag Injuries

Most car manufacturers have made airbags standard components of their new vehicles. It is a great invention that saves lives, but the injuries caused by this component of safety are frequent and often preventable.

Difficulty: Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Car w/Airbags
• Common Sense

1. SEAT BELT: I know you see this all over the place, but it is the most basic safety precaution. Using a seat belt will not only keep you in your seat, but also will reduce the probability of neck injury caused by your airbag's deployment.

2. HAND POSITION: Place your hands at 8 o'clock and 4 o'clock. In the last few years research into vehicular injuries has shown the when the airbag deploys and your hands are at 10 and 2 (like most of us were taught in school), you are likely to receive a shoulder injury from the airbag pushing your arms off the steering wheel.

3. SEAT ADJUSTMENT: Adjust the seat so that you can still reach the pedals comfortably, and then adjust the back so that you are a little closer than arm's length from the steering wheel. If you are too short to see out the windshield safely, you should look into pedal extensions. Because of the force of the airbag's deployment, if you are too close to the steering wheel, you can suffer severe chest wall injuries on impact.

4. PASSENGER PLACEMENT: As is stated by most jurisdictions, children should ALWAYS ride in the back seat when you have airbags. Their bone structures are softer than adults and will break more easily than an adults will.

Tips & Warnings

• If a passenger cannot ride comfortably with the shoulder harness of the seat belt, they should consider riding in the back.
• Airbags produce enough force on deployment to break a window.

[Gourmet2Go]

on 7/18/2009 Thanks for the wonderful article, it is amazing what a safety device can do!

[xrayness]

on 6/16/2009 I enjoyed reading this article. I did not know that an airbag could break a window.