That is the question. But, experts say that the overwhelming majority of Americans and their families are safer with an air bag as long as they follow a few simple safety steps. A limited number of people may not be safer with an air bag, and they may want to consider a switch. A panel of medical specialists also released the Final Report of the National Conference on Medical Indications for Air Bag Disconnection. Only a very limited number of people would actually benefit, medically, from deactivating their air bags.
Most people are better off with their air bags left on.
According to crash investigations, virtually all of these children were unrestrained or improperly restrained. The speed at which an air bag deploys creates an instant buffer that, with safety belts, protects people from serious injuries in a head-on collision. During pre-crash braking, unrestrained drivers and passengers are thrown against the hub of the steering wheel or dashboard, where the air bag is housed. Parents should know that, with or without an air bag, children are significantly safer riding in the back seat. Air bags are a supplemental restraint and, when combined with safety belts, reduce the risk of serious head injury by 81 percent, compared with a 60 percent reduction for belts alone.