ASK THE VEHICLE SAFETY LAWYER – Children & Airbags
This is a very intelligent question because you obviously realize that if your vehicle has front airbags, than the safest place for your children that are under age 12 is in the rear seat. This has been the government’s safety recommendation for almost 10 years. However, your three children cannot all sit in the rear seat because your vehicle only has four seating positions. Not all hope is lost.
First, see if your vehicle has a passenger side airbag cutoff switch. If it doesn’t, don’t go ask anyone to de-activate the passenger side airbag since this is against the law for anyone to do.
[accordions disabled=”false” autoheight=”false” collapsible=”true”]
[accordion title=”Transcript”]
Second, hopefully you have a child that weighs over 80 lbs. If so, put that child in the front seat and do the following. Using the seat tracks, move the front passenger seat as far away as you can from the instrument panel. Next, pull the seat belt all the way out until it stops. This engages a device known as the ALR which pre-locks the retractor. Put the front passenger seatback angle one notch away from upright. (if completely upright was 12:00, move to 1:00) Make certain the child doesn’t put his feet on the dash or cross his legs.
If you don’t have a child that weighs over 80 lbs. then place the child that’s closest to 80 lbs. in the front seat so long as the child is in a booster seat. Now follow these instructions. Using the seat tracks, move the front passenger seat as far away as you can from the instrument panel. Next, pull the seat belt all the way out until it stops. This engages a device known as the ALR which pre-locks the retractor.
If all of your children are in forward facing child seats, follow these instructions. Using the seat tracks, move the front passenger seat as far away as you can from the instrument panel. Next, pull the seat belt all the way out until it stops. This engages a device known as the ALR which pre-locks the retractor.
UNDER NO CIRCUMSTANCES SHOULD YOU PUT A REAR FACING CHILD SEAT IN THE FRONT SEAT. YOU WILL KILL YOUR CHILD IF YOU PLACE A REAR FACING CHILD SEAT IN FRONT OF AN AIRBAG.
Third, do not allow the children in the rear seat to share a seat belt if you are afraid of the front airbag.
Fourth, do not allow any child to sit in the rear of the vehicle while unrestrained by a seat belt.
For more than two decades, The Tracy Firm has been helping to assert the rights of individuals injured in vehicle accidents due to manufacturing design defect, safety system failures, vehicle aggressiveness and vehicle crashworthiness throughout the United States.
Contact us online, or, call us today at 214-324-9000 if you or your loved ones are seriously injured in an accident.
E. Todd Tracy | Child Safety Lawyer from The Tracy Firm | View (ARTICLE)
[/accordion]
[/accordions]
