Home  |  Auto & Mechanical  |  Driving & Safety  | 

How to Keep Your Family Safe in the Car

The Importance of Airbags

To properly view this site, javascript must be enabled and Flash version 9 or higher must be installed.
Get the latest Flash player
Stephanie Tombrello
Executive Director, SafetyBeltSafe U.S.A.
http://www.carseat.org/   

SafetyBeltSafe U.S.A. the national, non-profit organization dedicated to child passenger safety. Our mission is to help reduce the number of serious and fatal traffic injuries suffered by children by promoting the correct, consistent use of safety seats and safety belts.

Founded in 1980, SafetyBeltSafe U.S.A. is nationally recognized for program excellence, training, and up-to-date technical materials. We provide consultation to advocates, parents, business leaders, the media, and professionals working in the fields of health care, traffic safety, and education.

Stephanie M. Tombrello, L.C.S.W., Executive Director of SafetyBeltSafe U.S.A., has been involved in child passenger safety since 1970. While shopping for a car seat for her infant daughter, she was shocked to learn that most of the models available in stores were unsafe. Stephanie and several other early pioneers in the field successfully petitioned the federal government to require crash testing for child restraints.  She also wrote the petition which resulted in the federal requirement for manufacturers to provide shoulder belts in the rear seats of all post-1989 passenger vehicles.


In 1980, Stephanie founded a grassroots organization in the Los Angeles area which evolved to become SafetyBeltSafe U.S.A. Under her leadership, the organization has become the premier resource for child passenger safety in the nation. Stephanie is a nationally certified Child Passenger Safety Technician-Instructor and was appointed in 1995 to the National Blue Ribbon Panel on Child Restraint & Vehicle Compatibility.

The Importance of Airbags

In this video, SafetyBeltSafe U.S.A. Executive Director Stephanie Tombrello describes car safety basics for the whole family. Using footage of dummies in car crashes, she describes the risks of not buckling up on every ride. She explains how to select the appropriate safety seat for a child and how to prevent injuries from air bags. The final segments include a one-minute car safety check and additional safety tips for the whole family.

This expert: 98,697 views

This series: 20,370 views

Download to Mobile Device
Tags:

Car

,

Vehicle

,

Auto

,

Automobile

,

Safety

,

Safe

,

Seat

,

Car seat

,

Child safety seat

,

Crash

,

Accident

,

Wreck

,

Airbag

,

Belt

,

Lap

,

Shoulder

,

Harness

Comments:

0 (Read Comments) (Add Comment)

Print

Transcripts

Stephanie Tombrello: Hello, I am Stephanie Tombrello Executive director of SafetyBeltSafe U.

S.

A. We are talking now about the importance of protecting your family in the car, and how to do it the best way. Now, we are going to discuss the benefits and the dangers of airbags. Passenger airbags in the front seat of the vehicle are there to help an adult buckled up in a safety belt to ride down a crash. Airbags have to come out very fast, and if a person is in the wrong location in relation to the airbag the contact will not be a pleasant one. An unrestrained person is often thrown forward at the same time the airbag is coming out, and they come together with tremendous force. Now it's really a risk for rear-facing child, never face a rear-facing seat in the front seat of the vehicle with an active airbag. If you must use the front seat, you must have either a removal of the airbag or a switch to turn it off. Side airbags and side air curtains have been introduced into vehicle sold in United States. Side airbags appear to be a very beneficial feature of new vehicles, not only because they oppose some barrier between an intruding vehicle or tree, but also because sometimes children or adults who are loose in the vehicle are stopped from being ejected from the vehicle. So side airbags and particularly side air curtains seem to be a very useful component for safety for children and adults. The statistics show that one is safer in the rear seat especially now that the rear seats have shoulder-lap belts, side air curtains, and many other features that make them more friendly for children. We know that statistically one loses about 40 % of ones protection just by moving to the front seat. Now, we have reviewed briefly the benefits and dangers of airbags and the benefits of riding in the rear seat. Next, we're going to talk about how to select the best seat for your child.

Other Videos

  • How To Stay Clean While Fixing Your Car

    How To Stay Clean While Fixing Your Car

    Emmy award winning mechanic scotty kilmer shows how to stay clean while fixing your car. For answers to all your car questions, just google scottykilmer.com to reach Scotty's site. Scotty answers ALL questions free. 40 years of repair experience on your computer screen.
  • How to Get Out of a Speeding Ticket

    How to Get Out of a Speeding Ticket

    This video series will show how to get out of a speeding ticket. If your pedal is always pushed to the floor, watch this video, as attorney Steven Duckett discusses various guidelines to help you beat traffic tickets.
  • Choosing an Auto Mechanic

    Choosing an Auto Mechanic

    In this video series, John Nielsen, director of AAA’s Approved Auto Repair Network and Auto Buying Services, helps you make sense of car care. The series explains the differences between repair and maintenance and do-it-yourself repair and professional auto repair services. Tips address choosing an auto mechanic and following factory and maintenance schedules. Increasing your vehicle’s safety, reliability and longevity through proper maintenance also is discussed. For more AAA Automotive information, visit www.AAA.com/Auto.
  • How to Fix A Chainsaw

    How to Fix A Chainsaw

    Emmy Award winning mechanic Scotty Kilmer changes the pace somewhat in this video. Instead of car repair, he shows how to fix a chainsaw.
  • How to Repair Your Windshield

    How to Repair Your Windshield

    In this video series, Judy Greenway of Royal Glass, demonstrates the basis of repairing your windshield.
  • DIY Auto Repair vs Professional Repair

    DIY Auto Repair vs Professional Repair

    In this video series, John Nielsen, director of AAA’s Approved Auto Repair Network and Auto Buying Services, helps you make sense of car care. The series explains the differences between repair and maintenance and do-it-yourself repair and professional auto repair services. Tips address choosing an auto mechanic and following factory and maintenance schedules. Increasing your vehicle’s safety, reliability and longevity through proper maintenance also is discussed. For more AAA Automotive information, visit www.AAA.com/Auto.