Air Bag Safety Tips from Insurance Information Institute

11/07/96

Reminding consumers that airbags have saved over 1,100 lives and prevented thousands of injuries since they debuted in 1986, U.S. Newswire published the following list of air bag safety tips from the Insurance information Institute:

-- Every passenger must wear a seat belt at all times. Seat belts are essential to passenger safety whether riding in the front or back seat.

-- Make sure that the seat belt fits snugly across the lap. Adjust the seat belt properly otherwise it will not be effective.

-- Be sure to avoid driving too close to the steering wheel. Adjust your seat so that there is at least 12 inches between your chest and the steering wheel. Leave enough room for an air bag to inflate.

-- Position your hands at 10 and 2 o'clock when driving. Hands and arms are less likely to be injured by an air bag at these positions.

For drivers with children passengers:

-- Put children in the back seat at all times. If a child must sit in the front, you should push the seat as far back as possible.

-- Make sure your child is always securely buckled up. Never allow a child to slip out of their seat belt, especially the shoulder harness. The shoulder harness is very important in preventing injury.

-- Never put a rear-facing infant seat in the front passenger seat. If your car is equipped with passenger side air bags, the force could seriously injure or kill the child. Always put child safety seats in the back seat.

For pregnant drivers and other passengers at risk, such as petite women:

-- Tilt the steering wheel upwards. Therefore, in the event of an accident, the bag will not directly strike your lower body during deployment.

-- Push back your seat. When driving, be sure not to sit too close to the steering wheel. When sitting in the front passenger seat, push your seat back as far as possible.

-- Sit in the back seat. To avoid any exposure to an air bag, sit in the back seat and remember to buckle up.

Paul Dever -- The Auto Channel