Airbags have saved thousands of lives and are a very important safety feature of your vehicle. Airbags lessen the impact of a vehicle crash by providing a soft cushion for occupants. Airbags deploy at rates of up to 200 mph, so precautions must be taken to prevent injury. It is recommended that children 12 and under always sit in a back seat. If a child does have to sit in the front seat, they should be placed in an age-appropriate seat and the airbag should be deactivated. Airbags pose a severe threat to rear-facing car seats, therefore they should never be placed in the front seat. A minimum clearance of 10" from steering wheel airbags, and 20" from passenger frontal airbags must be maintained. Additionally, a seat belt must still be worn not only for non-frontal crashes, but also to help maintain the minimum distance from the airbag.

Tips for the driver of the vehicle:

• Move your seat back as far as possible while you can still reach the pedals comfortably.

• Tilt your steering wheel downward. You want the airbag pointing towards your chest instead of your head and neck.

• Raise the seat up on vehicles that have this feature.

• Slightly recline your seat to help maintain the minimum 10" clearance from the steering wheel.

The following videos were taken from Wolfforth Fire Department's annual rescue school.

This video demonstrates a normal deployment of an airbag. Notice the cloud of white smoke that is visible after the deployment. Many think this is smoke from a fire, but it is actually a substance such as cornstarch or talcum powder that helps lubricate the deployment of the bag.

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This video shows what can happen when an occupant is too close to an airbag.

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Additional information can be found at: http://www.howstuffworks.com/airbag.htm