Children's airbag alert

Experts are warning that when the airbags go off, they can cause severe hearing damage and breathing problems for children

Auto Express Car Reviews

07th June 2007

That's because of the ear-shattering noise they make when they inflate and the chemicals they release, according to researchers at the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia in the US.


	They are designed for adults and, experts warn, they must be switched off if youngsters sit in the front

While airbags have prevented deaths and injuries in thousands of accidents, they are designed for adults and, experts warn, they must be switched off if youngsters sit in the front. Yet many parents are unaware of the risk when they place children near airbags.

The research was led by Dr Manoj Mittal, who pinpointed the dangers to children from the 170-decibel bang as a bag inflates and from the hot particulates that enter the cabin as the airbag deflates after the crash. Dr Mittal's study of nearly 5,000 smashes is the first to quantify the risk to children in the front seat.