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Air bags are safety features that are installed in cars in order to protect the front seat passenger and drive in case of a collision. While air bags have saved countless lives – they have also claimed lives.

• According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), air bags save the lives of over 3,000 people a year. In comparison, since 1990, air bags have claimed the lives of 162 people, 96 of which were children.

Air bags deploy at a speed of approximately 200 mph. Initially they were designed with larger sized adults in mind. Therefore, their deployment speed was based upon the assumption that the individual would be sitting at least 10 inches from the initial deployment point. The designers and testers failed to consider the impact the deployment would have on smaller sized individuals. These individuals tend to sit closer to the dashboard, especially if they are driving. This puts them in danger when the air bag is deployed, because they are positioned too close to the point where the air bag begins its deployment.

• When an air bag first begins to deploy, it does so with an explosive force, which diminishes as the bag expands. Many people have been killed because they were sitting too near the air bag when it deployed to be killed or injured.
• Advanced Air Bags are being designed to protect a wider range of individuals, including children and unbelted passengers. For example, new air bags that deploy at reduced speeds are being tested.
• Full force, reduced force, or deactivated it doesn't matter. Toddlers should never be put in a position where they may come into contact with an air bag. In other words, toddlers should never be placed in the front seat!

According to the American Academy of Pediatrics, the safest place in a car, for any child under the age of twelve, is the back seat.

• Not only should toddlers be placed in the back seat, they also need to be restrained, so that in the event of an accident they are not thrown around the car.
• When it comes to strapping a toddler 'in', there are a few safety concerns to consider. For the most part, toddlers weigh too much to safely use a child safety seat, yet they are still too small to use a seat belt. The solution is to use a specially designed toddler booster seat.

Once a toddler becomes too big for the safety seat, they should be secured in a booster seat. These come in two main varieties.