Make sure everyone is buckled up. Unbuckled occupants can be hurt or killed by an air bag. Unless the vehicle is equipped with a cut off switch for the air bag and the air bag is shut off, under absolutely no circumstances should a parent place a rear-facing infant restraint in front of an air bag. There is an extremely high risk of severe injury or fatality in this situation, and a child should never be subjected to this risk. Even if the air bag is shut off or there is no air bag, the safest place for all children 12 and under is in the rear seat.
Many parents are concerned about having an infant rear-facing in the rear seat.
However, the American Academy of Pediatrics stresses that a healthy baby buckled correctly in a rear-facing child seat is as safe as a baby placed in a crib for a nap or overnight sleep. The risk of serious injury in a crash is much greater than the risk of a healthy baby having a life-threatening health problem during a car ride. If no rear seat is available in which to place the rear-facing child restraint, and another mode of transportation is available, consider using that alternative. That is the safest place. If no option exists other than seating a young child in the front seat, several steps must be taken.