Study Says Airbags Safer for Kids
Second-generation airbags, introduced in 1998, were the focus of a recent study that concluded children are less likely to be injured by the advanced airbags then they were by the previous generation.
Children under the age of 6 are 66% more at risk in a car with first-generation airbags than in one with no airbags at all. That’s why it’s recommended to place young children in the back seat. The same age group is only 10% more at risk with the second-generation airbags, which inflate with less force. At the same time, the newer airbags also marginally improve safety for adults. Prior to this study some believed the less powerful airbag deployment meant more injuries to adults for the benefit of children. Now we know that second-generation airbags are just plain better for everybody.
