Chapter 45: Airbags
Airbags Work With Seat Belts, Not Instead of Them
An airbag deploying without a seat belt holding the occupant in position can actually cause serious injury on its own — the two systems are designed to work together.
Safe Positioning
Sit back from the steering wheel rather than hunched close to it, and keep your hands on the lower portion of the wheel where possible, so an airbag has room to deploy without striking your hands or face at full force. Never place a rear-facing infant car seat in a front passenger seat with an active airbag — the deployment force is dangerous at that close range for a rear-facing infant.