Airbags save thousands of lives each year, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administratior (NHTSA).  In frontal crashes, airbags reduce deaths among drivers by about 30 percent and among passengers by 27 percent.

The Insurance Information Institute (III), however, warns that air bags can be dangerous.  If small children sit unbelted in the front seat, they can be catapulted into the path of a deploying air bag, which inflates with great force.  This risk also applies to small adults, who must sit close to the steering wheel to reach the pedals, pregnant women and the elderly. 

To prevent air bag injuries, III says all children should sit in the backseat wearing a safety belt.  Infants should be placed in rear-facing car seats and put in the backseat.  Small adults should move the seat back so that their breastbone is at least 10 inches from the air bag cover.  If this is not possible, air bag switches can be installed so the vehicle owner has the option of turning the bag off or on, depending on the situation.