Airbags: Helpful or Harmful?

Question

The manual says airbags are dangerous to kids. Uhh... but its meant to SAVE lives not HURT them?

Can anyone explain this to me.

Answer 1

Both, they really do save lives in high impact collisions, but they can also kill babies if they are not in a rear-facing car seat or in a back seat. Also, small-statured people and the elderly can suffer unjuries in low impact collisions that set the airbag off. Over all, airbags are good, but not if you are a small person. You can have them disabled it need be. Speak with someone at a dealership about this if you think you need to.  

Answer 2

They are meant to protect you from being flung out of the car or from hitting the dashboard/steering wheel. By no means are they meant to make a car accident a fun and comfortable experience.  Children are short, airbags are meant to go off in the face of an adult, the sheer force could suffocate a small child.  

Answer 3

airbags are harmful. if u are a driver and u want an airbag then it has to be 10 in. away from your chest. airbags can suffocate you.  

Answer 4

Air bags are designed for people over 4' 6" tall. Naturally children are smaller so there's a chance of injury. Personally I' rather deal with an air bag than eat a steering wheel!

Answer 5

Airbags  are meant to save lives from severe crashes but they are basically balloons expanding around 100 MPH. which can harm any person but the smaller the harder the impact, so its better to keep small kids in the back seat, 2 seaters move the seat as far back as possible, but anything is better than nothing.

Answer 6

Ya that's why the manual normally tells you where to place the kids in the car for their safety and why kids under a certain age should not be placed in a seat with engaged airbags.  Having the airbags there do saves lives and serious injury.  In most cases that i have seen where children have been injured by airbags it was because the rules and guidelines set by the manufacturer were not followed.  Children typically have other safety devices in place, such as car and booster seats (which need to be used according to the laws and rules as well)  As a paramedic, most of the children injured that i saw injured in accidents (especially minor accidents) were not restrained properly or in the correct place in the car.  That is the parents fault, not the cars fault.  Airbags are for adults, not children.