There is no risk of oxygen deprivation during air bag deployment because of the quick deflation of the device. There is some equivocal evidence to suggest that the chemical irritants produced may precipitate bronchospasm in persons with asthma. However, there is no evidence to suggest that this phenomenon is occurring with any greater frequency in the presence of air bags. There is no reason to suspect that persons with any type of chronic lung disease will be adversely affected by an air bag deployment sufficiently enough to justify disconnection of the device. We are not able to determine an absolute cut-off height and weight for disconnection of air bags.
Short stature is a common area of concern for the public in regard to air bag deployment.
As proximity to the air bag is the major issue, the passenger-side air bag should not be disconnected for a passenger of short stature. Beyond just short stature, weight, arm length, and leg length also play important roles in driver positioning. We know that a disproportionate number of the deaths attributed to air bag deployment have occurred in persons of short stature. However, of the 150,000 estimated air bag deployments involving persons of short stature, only 14 are known to have been fatal. Some of the less commonly cited medical indications.