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If the vehicle seat is too
farforward,orthechild’sheadis
thrown f orward during a collision, an
inflating front airbag can strike the
child with enough f orce to kill or
very seriously injure a small child.
Whenever possible,
larger children should sit in the back
seat, on a booster seat if needed, and
be properly restrained with a seat
belt (see page f or important
inf ormation about protecting larger
children).
According to accident statistics,
children of all ages and sizes are
saf er when they are restrained in a
back seat.
Front airbags have been designed to
help protect adults in a moderate to
severe f rontal collision. To do this
the passenger’s f ront airbag is quite
large, and it can inflate with enough
f orce to cause very serious injuries.
If
the airbag inf lates, it can hit the back
of the child seat with enough force
to kill or very seriously injure an
inf ant.
Children who ride in back are less
likely to be injured by striking
interior vehicle parts during a
collision or hard braking. Also,
children cannot be injured by an
inf lating f ront airbag when they ride
in the back.
The National Highway Traffic Safety
Administration and Transport
Canada recommend that all children
age 12 and under be properly
restrained in a back seat. Some
states have lows restricting where
children may ride.
44
Placing a f orward-f acing child seat int he f ront seat of a vehicle equippedwith passenger’s f ront airbag can behazardous.
Children who have outgrown childseat s are also at risk of being injuredor killed by an inf lat ing passenger’s
front airbag.
Inf ant s
Never put a rear-f acing child seat int he f ront seat of a vehicle equippedwit h a passenger’s f ront airbag. Small Children
Larger Children
Protecting Children General Guidelines
All Children Should Sit in the
Back Seat The Passenger’s Front Airbag
Poses Serious Risks
30
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y
y
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Some states also require children to
use a booster seat until they reach a
given age or weight (e.g., 6 years or
60lbs).Besuretocheckcurrent
laws in the state or states where you
intend to drive.A child may continue using a booster
seat until the tops of their ears are
even with the top of the vehicle’s or
booster’s seat-back. A child of this
height should be tall enough to use
the lap/shoulder belt without a
booster seat.
Booster seats can be high-back or
low-back. Whichever style you select,
make sure the booster meets f ederal
saf ety standards (see page ) and
that you f ollow the booster seat
maker’s instructions.
If a child who uses a booster seat
must ride in f ront, move the vehicle
seat as far to the rear as possible,
and be sure the child is wearing the
seat belt properly. The National Highway Traffic Safety
Administration and Transport
Canada recommend that all children
age 12 and under be properly
restrained in the back seat.
If the passenger’s f ront airbag
inf lates in a moderate to severe
frontal collision, the airbag can cause
serious injuries to a child who is
unrestrained, improperly restrained,
sitting too close to the airbag, or out
of position.
Thesideairbagalsoposesrisks.If
any part of a larger child’s body is in
the path of a deploying side airbag,
the child could receive possibly
serious injuries.
36
Protecting L arger Children
When Can a L arger Child Sit in
Front
Driver and Passenger Saf ety
45
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y
() y y
