Preventing an Injury When Facing a Deployed Car Airbag
Posted by Artem Martynyuk on
Car accidents have become significantly less lethal over the past decade, thanks to the many measures the industry has taken to protect those riding inside vehicles. Today, all personal vehicles developed by manufacturing companies come with Supplemental Restraint System (SRS) airbags. These are located in the steering wheel and on the dashboard of a front passenger’s seat.
Airbags are designed to deploy the moment your car comes into a sudden stop to indicate a collision and prevent the passengers from hurting themselves. Unfortunately, despite an SRS’s ability to protect people inside a vehicle, they can also unknowingly cause harm.
Due to how a person is positioned in a car during an accident, once the airbag deploys, it can end up causing you pain while it’s in the process of inflating. Fortunately, there are ways to prevent you from experiencing more suffering from the sudden pressure of an airbag. Keep reading below to find out how to protect yourself during SRS airbag deployment.
Wear Your Seatbelt At All Times
Every time you’re in a car, you should never forget to buckle your seatbelt and keep it on throughout the trip. It isn’t enough to rely on airbags in the event of a crash because you will need all the protection you can get to avoid injuries.
Failing to wear your seatbelt while experiencing a collision can put your life in danger not only from the accident itself but also from the deployment of the SRS airbag. If you want to increase your chances of coming out of a car crash with fewer bruises, remember to put on your seatbelt.
Sit a Proper Distance Away From the Front
As much as possible, whether you’re the driver or on the passenger seat, sit far away from the steering wheel or passenger side dashboard to avoid getting injured by the SRS. The space you leave between you and the airbag plays an integral role in keeping you safe in the event of a crash.
It will be best to maintain about ten to twelve inches of space between you and the steering wheel or dashboard. That way, the moment the airbag deploys, you don’t take as much pressure and are less likely to come out of the accident full of bruises.
Position Your Steering Wheel Correctly
You should learn to adjust your steering wheel accordingly before driving down the road. The wheel should be tilted downward in an aligned position. When driving, you should keep your hands on a nine and three o’clock or an eight and four o’clock position.
When you maintain the proper hand positions on your steering wheel, you have greater chances of avoiding injuring your wrists or arms after an airbag deploys during an accident. Moreover, your thumbs should remain on the upper or outer edges of the steering wheel and not inside.
Keep Children Off the Front Passenger Seat
Children under twelve years old should never sit in the front seat of the car. Instead, they must remain safe in the back seat, buckled up correctly, or placed on a car seat for younger kids. Failing to do so and still allowing your child to sit in front will lead to unwanted outcomes during a sudden collision.
But in rare cases where you don’t have a choice but to get your child to sit in the front seat, you should adjust the passenger seat way back to keep them safe from an SRS airbag deployment. Don’t forget to fasten their seat belt to keep them secure throughout the ride.
Conclusion
No matter how much you stay safe while driving down the road, there are some instances where you can’t evade an accident and will still end up experiencing a car crash. Whether it’s your fault or it’s the other car involved that’s in the wrong, you have to make sure to remember the tips above to prevent worse injuries and maintain you and your family’s safety. While it’s easy to get an SRS module repair done, it will be harder to recover from the trauma and pain from an airbag deployment injury.
Are you looking for SRS repair services in Westfield, MA, for your vehicle? Repair My SRS is an accident restoration company dedicated to providing SRS airbag module resets and seat belt repairs on retractors, tensioners, and buckles. Get in touch with us today to receive the necessary maintenance ASAP!