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| |    Automobile Safety: Airbag Overview by Laura Jana, M.D., F.A.A.P. reviewed by Kathryn Clark, M.D., F.A.A.P. There's no question that airbags can save lives and prevent serious head injuries. But it's important for parents to realize that they also can pose a serious risk to infants and children (as well as small adults) if some important precautions aren't taken. The sad truth is, most airbag-related injuries, and even death, involve children. This article will explain how airbags work, so you can better understand how to ensure your child's safety. The use of airbags The simple purpose of an airbag is to prevent head, chest, and other injuries in the event of a car accident. The bag is designed to fully inflate within less than a second after impact, serving to cushion the head and chest and prevent them from striking the hard surfaces in the front of the car, such as the dash or the windshield. As of the model year 1999, carmakers in the United States have been required to install driver- and front-passenger airbags. A few cars come equipped with side airbags as well. How seatbelts play a role When an accident occurs, a sensor determines whether or not to trigger inflation of the car's airbag. The amount of time the airbag has to fully inflate before the head makes impact is greatly affected by whether or not the car's occupant is wearing a seatbelt. Unfortunately, far too many people in the United States do not wear seatbelts, so as a result, cars made in this country contain airbags designed to inflate more quickly and with far greater force to protect them. While this greater force is necessary to inflate the airbag more quickly, it also significantly increases the potential harm that the airbag can do. It's easy enough to minimize this risk, though: Just have your child sit in the back seat whenever possible, and make sure that you and your children are buckled up. Keep a safe distance A person's proximity to an airbag is also very important, as it may influence the airbag's potential both to prevent injury and to cause great harm. The force of inflation, especially within the first few milliseconds, can inflict serious harm on someone who is seated just a short distance away from the airbag. Because of this risk, rear-facing infant safety seats (which place an infant's head dangerously close to the bag's location) should never be installed in the front seat where there is a functioning airbag. Speed of a crash You may be surprised to learn that it doesn't take a major accident to trigger inflation of your airbag(s). The exact speed varies a bit between manufacturers, but most airbags are designed to inflate in a crash equivalent to driving into a solid barrier at only 10-12 mph. While no parent wants to consider the possibility of such a tragedy, even a simple low-speed parking-lot accident has been known to cause fatal head injuries in children who were improperly restrained or in infants whose rear-facing car seats were placed in the front seat. The future of airbags Organizations such as The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration hope to help develop and establish requirements for airbags that will minimize their risks while preserving their benefits. If sensors could determine how far an occupant is seated from an airbag, how much they weigh, and whether or not she is restrained, then lesser force could be used to inflate the airbag when appropriate. Such improvements certainly would be welcome, but until they exist, the best thing you can do for now is to take the precautions outlined here. (For additional ways to protect your child, check out the article Airbag Safety Tips.)
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