NEVER Put Your Baby's Infant Seat in Front Passenger Seat
Air bags have saved the lives of more than 1,500 people in serious traffic accidents, according to the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS). Thousands more have walked away from serious accidents with minor or no injuries because of air bags.
However, some people have been injured or killed by air bags, usually because the victims were not wearing safety belts or were placed in infant car seats in the front passenger seat. Injuries and fatalities can be prevented by using safety belts and child safety seats properly.
| Air bags are designed to inflate in a fraction of a second, then cushion a person’s head and upper body after the air bag is fully inflated and as it deflates. Rear-facing infant seats may extend too close to the air bag, so the air bag will still be inflating when it hits the back of the infant seat. |  |
| The tremendous force of the inflating air bag is transmitted through the infant seat to the child’s head. |  |
| The force can seriously injure or kill an infant in a rear-facing seat. Older children riding without lap and shoulder belts or wearing them improperly can also be seriously injured or killed by a deploying air bag. |  |
Air Bags are not a Risk to Children if You Follow These Rules:
- The back seat is the safest place for children of any age.
- Babies under a year or weighing less than 20 pounds should ride in a rear-facing infant seat in the back seat.
- Air bags can deploy in low-speed crashes — even parking lot fender benders — so put your child in the back seat every trip.
- When babies outgrow rear-facing seats, they should graduate to forward-facing child seats — but keep them in the back seat.
- If it’s necessary to allow an older child to ride up front, adjust the seat so it’s as far back as possible. Don’t let them sit leaning forward or with their feet on the dashboard (proper use of lap and shoulder belts will help prevent that behavior).
- Read your vehicle owner’s manual and the instructions for infant and child seats. Make sure the seats are properly installed.
Air Bags Should Work with Safety Belts
Air bags combined with safety belts save lives and prevent serious injuries. With a few simple precautions, you can avoid certain rare situations in which an inflating air bag may cause injuries or death. Those most at risk include:
- Babies in rear-facing infant seats in the front seat.
- Young children in the front seat who are not belted or not properly belted.
- Unbelted drivers and drivers who sit close to the steering wheel (particularly frail drivers or shorter, older drivers).
- Always wear lap and shoulder belts. They keep your body in the car and in position so the air bag can cushion your impact. If you’re not wearing safety belts, there’s an increased chance of being injured by an inflating air bag.
- Front seat passengers should sit as far back as possible from an air bag.
- Do not position your chest close to the steering wheel in an air bag-equipped vehicle.
How Can You Best Protect Children in Cars?
Teach them to always wear safety belts.
American Family Insurance offers you this brief guide to get the most protection from your vehicle’s safety belts and air bags. American Family helps fund the two organizations that provided background information for this brochure: the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety and the National Association of Independent Insurers.
These recommendations were developed using generally accepted safety standards. Compliance with these recommendations is not a guarantee that you will be in conformance with any building code, federal, state or local regulation regarding safety or fire. Compliance with these recommendations does not ensure the absolute safety of your occupation, business or residence. It is the property owner’s duty to warn any tenants or occupants of the property of any safety hazards that may exist.
