How many deaths are now attributed to air bags?
Since 1990, 62 adults and 86 children have reportedly died in crashes as a result of air bag injuries. Investigations indicate that of the 86 children killed, 83 were either not restrained or improperly restrained or were in a rear-facing infant seat in front of a passenger air bag. Two five-year-olds weighing under 40 pounds were wearing both lap and shoulder belts. The correct restraint for children of this size is a child safety seat in the back seat. An eleven year old boy was also belted and was leaning forward at the time the air bag deployed. Of the adults who died, most were not buckled up and many were sitting too close to the air bag when it deployed. It is important to note that motor vehicle crashes are the leading cause of death for children of all races, ages 5 to 14 years old in the United States. Every year, more than 2,000 children ages 0-15 die and 327,000 are injured in vehicle crashes. Investigations indicate that more than 55 percent of the children under age 15 wh
