Air bags deploy during accidents and save lives by preventing individuals to hit the steering wheel, windshield, or any other hard surfaces during an accident. However, they were built to protect the average sized individual; if you are particularly small or short then you may need to be extra careful because you can get hurt when they are deployed.
The air bag was first invented by John W Hetrick in 1952 and patented soon thereafter. Vehicles first became equipped with this safety device in the 1970’s. Modern air bags deploy at 200 mph which extremely fast. Therefore, it is extremely important that the driver is seated at least ten inches away from the steering wheel; measure with a tape measure to make sure. Being petite I often have a habit of scooting the driver seat super close to the steering wheel because it’s “feels” more comfortable this way; however it is a very bad habit. You need to be make sure that you don’t sit too close to the steering wheel; use a tape measure to ensure that there is a 10 inch gap.
If you are having difficulty reaching the pedals, you may consider having pedal extensions installed which will allow you to sit further away from the wheel while still reaching the pedals. These extensions are installed on the gas and brake pedals, allowing you to move the seat backwards so you don’t have to sit super close to the wheel. Make sure to tilt the steering wheel as low as possible so that it isn’t
Cheap Coach Purse pointed in the direction of your head.
The other possibility is to have an on/off switch installed on your car and disable the bags when you drive. Some modern air bags system will automatically disable the airbag if a very light person sits in the seat. Also hold the steering wheel at the sides so that the air bag has room to go off, otherwise you might receive arm injuries.
If you have side bags, make sure you don’t lean against the side door when driving or prop your elbow against it; you can get hurt if the bag goes off and you’re leaning against it. In conclusion, air bags save thousands of lives and do much more good then bad However, if you are a small person, you need to exercise special care because air bags were designed to the average sized person.
Las Vegas Ford Edge offers a large selection of vehicles in Henderson and Nevada.
