Shoulder-only Automatic Belts are designed to protect adults. Children in a car equipped with shoulder-only automatic belts should sit in the rear seat and use a lap belt. If it does not, place the child in a rear seat lap belt. AIR BAGS Air bags offer excellent frontal crash protection, especially when used in combination with lap and shoulder safety belts. The air bag remains concealed until a frontal crash of about 12-mph causes it to inflate.
Air bags are only part of a total occupant protection system.
Children in the front seat of an air bag-equipped car should be secured in a child safety or booster seat or by the car's lap belt. This will hold them in place for air bag protection in a frontal crash, while protecting them against side, rear and rollover collisions. Children under age four must be in a federally-approved child safety seat. Children four but under 14 must be protected by a safety belt. Applies to vehicles designed for carrying 10 or fewer passengers.