According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), 175 people died because of airbag injuries from 1990 to 2000. Over half of the fatalities were children.
But, airbags are proven to save lives as well. In the same time period, airbags saved over 6000 lives. There are ways to prevent serious injuries if your airbags were to deploy.
Tips To Avoid Airbag Injuries In Case Of A Car Accident
No Children in the Front Seat
When a rear-facing car seat is placed in the front seat, the baby’s head is too close to the airbag. If it deploys the airbag can cause serious head injuries.
The NHTSA recommends that all children under 13 sit in the backseat. If they must sit in the front seat, they recommend that the seat is moved as far back as possible. This will help prevent serious injury if the airbag deploys.
Nothing Between You and the Door
While riding in a vehicle with side airbags, it’s important not to lean against the window or door. You also need to be careful not to put anything between you and the door. If a car accident occurs and the airbag deploys, you could suffer serious injuries.
Buckle Up
Airbags may provide a false sense of security; it’s important to buckle up, as well. Nearly all of the children that died from 1990 to 2000 as a result of airbag injuries were not wearing seat belts.
10 Inch Rule
In order to prevent injury from a deploying airbag, experts recommend sitting at least 10 inches away from the steering wheel. If someone is sitting closer than 10 inches from the steering wheel because of their height, experts recommend installing petal extenders rather than turning the airbags off.
When Airbags Fail In Car Accidents
Sometimes, however, people are seriously injured by airbags because they’re too forceful. Other times the airbag fails to go off when it should, resulting in serious injuries and even death.
If you’ve been injured by an airbag failure, you should contact a lawyer with experience in these types of cases. Marietta car accident attorney Andrew W. Jones has the experience needed to handle cases involving airbag failure.
Categories: Airbag Safety, Auto Accidents, Car Accident, Catastrophic Injuries, Personal Injury, Rollover Accidents, Truck Accident, Trucking Accidents
