Frequently Asked Questions
- How do I know if my vehicle has air bags?
- Should I put my child in the front seat of a
vehicle with a passenger frontal air bag?
- What is meant by a "moderate or severe" crash?
- Is it safe for small-stature and elderly adults
to be seated in front of a frontal air bag?
- Is it safe for pregnant women to be seated in
front of a frontal air bag?
- What is meant by "properly restrained" and
"proper seating position"?
- What is the Technical Working Group (TWG)?
1. How do I know if my vehicle has
air bags?
For frontal air bags, look for the embossed letters SRS, SIR or
SRS/Air Bag on the air bag cover located in the centre of the
steering wheel (for the driver) and the dashboard (for the right
front passenger).
Also look for the air bag warning labels typically located on the
sun visors. As always, read your owner's manual to understand the
operation and location of your vehicle's air bags.
Since model year 1998, all passenger cars are required to have
frontal air bags for the driver and the right front passenger
seating positions. Starting in model year 1999, all light trucks
(pickups, vans and SUVs) are required to have frontal air bags for
the driver and the right front passenger.
Side-impact air bags are not required by the government.
Side-impact air bags are, however, offered as either a standard or
optional feature by many vehicle manufacturers. Again, read your
owner's manual and look for the embossed letters SRS or Side Air Bag
on areas such as the outboard side of the seat back, the door panel
or the overhead roof rail.
2. Should I put my child in the
front seat of a vehicle with a passenger frontal air bag?
No. An infant or child riding in the front seat can be seriously
injured or killed by an inflating air bag. NHTSA recommends placing all children 12 and under in the rear seat. This is
the safest place. This applies to all children 12 and under: an
infant riding in a rear-facing infant seat, a child riding in a
forward-facing child restraint, an older child riding in a booster
seat and children large enough to wear a safety belt.
Infants in rear-facing child safety seats must never
ride in the front seat of a vehicle with an active front
passenger air bag. Children age 12 and under should ride
buckled up in the back seat. They should use child safety seats,
booster seats or safety belts appropriate for their age and size.
There may be occasions when a parent or caregiver has no other
option than to place a child other than an infant in a rear-facing
child safety seat in the right front seat, for example:
- In a pickup truck with insufficient or no available rear seat,
or
- If a parent is transporting too many children for all to ride
in the back, or
- When transporting a child with a medical condition that
requires monitoring and another adult is not available.
In the event there is no available rear seat and parents
have no other option than to place a child other than an
infant in a rear-facing child safety seat in a front passenger
seating position, take these steps:
- Ensure the child is properly restrained,
- Move the seat as far back as possible,
- Make sure the child is not leaning out of position, and
- Set the air bag ON-OFF switch, if available, to the OFF
position.
When faced with having to choose which child other than an infant
in a rear-facing child safety seat to place in front of an air bag
in the front seat, select the child that can be relied upon to
remain in a proper seating position. This may not necessarily be the
oldest child, but the child who is restrained at all times.
3. What is meant by a "moderate or
severe" crash?
Frontal air bags are generally designed to deploy in "moderate to
severe" frontal or near-frontal crashes, that is, crashes that are
equivalent to hitting a solid, fixed barrier at 8 to 14 mph or
higher. This would also be equivalent to striking a parked car of
similar size at about 16 to 28 mph or higher.
Yes. It has generally been found to be safe, and will continue to
be safe, for smaller adults and elderly people to be seated in front
of an air bag as long as they are properly belted, maintain a proper
seating position and move the seat as far back as possible.
Drivers concerned about achieving the recommended 10-inch
distance between the air bag cover in the steering wheel and the
driver's breastbone should:
- Ensure they are properly belted,
- Maintain a proper seating position,
- Move the seat as far back as possible while still comfortably
reaching the pedals,
- Recline the back of the seat slightly, and
- Tilt the steering wheel downward, if the steering wheel is
adjustable, because this points the air bag towards the breastbone
instead of the head and neck.
Those who still cannot get far enough away from the steering
wheel should ask their vehicle manufacturer about the availability
of pedal extenders. If the above does not work and a driver still
cannot comfortably achieve the 10-inch distance, an
air bag ON-OFF switch may be considered. With the introduction
of
advanced frontal air bags beginning in the 2004 model year, much
of the risk of an air bag-related injury is minimized and an ON-OFF
switch may not be necessary.
5. Is it safe for pregnant women to
be seated in front of a frontal air bag?
Yes. The combination of safety belts and air bags offer the best
level of protection to pregnant women as long as they follow the
same advice as other adults: ensure they are properly belted,
maintain a proper seating position and move the seat as far back as
possible.
The lap belt should be positioned low on the abdomen, below the
fetus, with the shoulder belt worn normally. When crashes occur, the
fetus can be injured by striking the lower rim of the steering wheel
or from crash forces concentrated in the area where a seat belt
crosses the mother's abdomen. The seat belt will keep a pregnant
woman as far as possible from the steering wheel. The air bag will
help spread out the crash forces that would otherwise be
concentrated by the seat belt.
Women late in pregnancy may not be able to get their abdomens
away from the steering wheel. If the vehicle has a tilt steering
wheel, pregnant women should make sure the steering wheel is tilted
toward the breastbone, not the abdomen or the head.
6. What is meant by "properly
restrained" and "proper seating position"?
The lap belt portion of your safety belt should be adjusted so
that it lies low across the hips and over the upper portion of the
thighs. The lap belt should not lie across the abdomen. The lap belt
is most effective when it lies over the pelvic bone, one of the
strongest bones in the body. Remove excess slack from the lap belt
so that it is snug. Any slack can allow the body to move around
during a crash and increases the risk of injury.
The shoulder portion of your safety belt should lie over the
chest and over the collarbone with minimal, if any, slack. It should
not lie across the front of the neck. A belt that touches the side
of the neck may be slightly uncomfortable, but is not usually
unsafe. Worn correctly, the shoulder belt provides upper torso
protection, spreads the crash forces over a relatively large area of
the body and helps to prevent the head and chest from hitting the
interior of the vehicle during a crash.
Do not place the shoulder portion of your safety belt underneath
your arm or behind your back. This will increase the likelihood of
your upper body contacting the vehicle's interior during a crash and
will also concentrate crash forces on the lap portion of the belt.
Proper seating position means occupants should be seated upright
with their back against the seat back and feet on the floor.
Improper seating positions, such as slouching or resting one's feet
on the dashboard, can result in reduced effectiveness of the
vehicle's restraint system and possible injury to the occupant.
7. What is the Technical Working
Group (TWG)?
At the government's request, a panel of automotive and insurance
industry experts known as the Technical Working Group (TWG) has
developed voluntary side-impact air bag (SAB) testing procedures to
minimize the potential risk of SAB-related injuries for
out-of-position occupants. All manufacturers have agreed to utilize
these tests when designing future SAB systems.
