Why is a 7 year old in a booster not 'safer' in front with an airbag

mrs_teeee67 · Jul 5, 2010

than in the back seat without one. Why isn't the 'airbag protection' better than no airbag?

This is what my hubby asked me last night... and I don't know the 'answer' except for the 'ya don't use airbags below 12 years old'.

I completely understand his reasoning. If an air bag protects people.. and a booster protects kids, why wouldn't BOTH be even BETTER?

Can someone give me 'details/whatever' as to WHY it doesn't work that way?

Maedze · Jul 5, 2010

I think it has something to do with the actual force with which the bag is deployed and the age and strength of the bone structure of the passenger.

Of course, the liklihood of injury is greatly increased because children in the front seat are usually not correctly restrained to begin with....no harness, no booster, etc. Little kids put the shoulder belts behind them, they lean forward, etc. Makes it all much worse.

Also, the back seat is safer for everyone because it's that much further away from the most likely point of impact.

I've had a forward facing child ride in the front seat of my minivan, with top tether, seat all the way back, before. The airbag was 'off' per the sensor. I don't trust sensors for rear facing seats, obviously, but even if the airbag had deployed I wouldn't have been too worried about the child in the seat.

mrs_teeee67 · Jul 5, 2010

I thought it had something to do with bone strength. But like I said, I COMPLETELY could understand his rationale and can see MANY others using the same line of thinking and I didn't have a 'real' answer for that.

We were discussing things in general and talking about an upcoming cross country trip I'm planning and he was legitimately wondering if she'd be safer if I moved her.

bree · Jul 5, 2010

There's a study that looked at 1-18 year olds in the front seat in accidents; I don't know if has anything more to add to help you, but I just thought I'd link it with some quotes just in case.

"The study found that children 14 and younger were at high risk for serious injury from air bags when they sat in the front passenger seat during car crashes.

In contrast, air bags had a protective effect for teens aged 15-18. And the study showed that age may be a better indicator of risk from air-bag injury than height or weight.

Newgard and co-author Dr. Roger Lewis, an emergency-medicine researcher at the University of California-Los Angeles, said several body changes that take place during puberty, including muscle mass, bone density and bone-mineral content, may help explain why body size alone isn't a good measurement of risk from the air bags in children."

carseatcoach · Jul 5, 2010

I apologize if this comes off as snarky -- that's not my intent but I don't seem to be able to word this "nicely" -- but children are not miniature adults. Their bones are different, their proportions are different, and it just doesn't work to extrapolate from adult bodies what works for children.

mrs_teeee67 · Jul 5, 2010

I don't think you were snarky,, and I 'get' that. We aren't going to put her up front and he isn't 'arguing' with me or anything. I just thought 'hmmm,, how would you REALLY explain that to someone' when he asked. I know the 'general' answer of 'it's just DIFFERENT' lol, but wondered the specifics of someone that wouldn't just 'take' that sort of answer. Not that I 'need' it per se, just a curiosity thing

*odd and a bit off topic, but her bone age may actually be out of whack and advanced, eeek!,, No, we aren't going to move her based on that though

*

SavsMom · Jul 5, 2010

I do believe it has to do with the force at which the airbag deploys and the smaller body structure of a child under the age of 12.

When an airbag is deployed it literally "explodes" from the dash (yes, it actually detonates) and even with advanced airbags they still deploy with tons of force. Most airbags deploy within 15 to 40 milliseconds to give you an idea of how quick and powerful they are. If you have ever seen someone that has been in an accident where the airbags deployed - they often times can look very beat up and black and blue - yes, its much better than hitting a steering wheel or the dash, but I can only imagine what it would do to a child, even if the child is properly restrained in a booster.

Why is a 7 year old in a booster not 'safer' in front with an airbag

mrs_teeee67

New member

Maedze

New member

mrs_teeee67

New member

bree

Car-Seat.Org Ambassador

carseatcoach

Carseat Crankypants

mrs_teeee67

New member

SavsMom

New member

Car-Seat.Org Facebook Group

Sponsors

Forum statistics