Alison had just finished loading the last shopping bag into her car after a marathon journey through the big discount food store with her 5-year-old daughter Emma. She wanted to reward Emma for being a patient girl, and so when Emma asked if she could ride up front “just this once”, Alison wavered and almost gave in.

Five minutes later, she thanked her lucky stars that she had held her ground. When a car ahead of them stopped without warning, Alison slammed on the brakes but could not avoid a jarring impact. When her airbag deployed, Alison was thrust against the back of her seat by its protective force. If little Emma had been sitting in the front seat, she could have been injured by the sudden powerful inflation of the passenger-side airbag.

Alison’s motherly protective nature is validated by a report released in September 2008 by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. That agency, in conjunction with the Centers for Disease Control, has been on a campaign since 1995 to persuade parents that children under 12 must ride in the back seat. Soon after air bags became standard equipment, it became evident that children could be severely hurt and even killed by the force of the bags inflating. In some instances, deaths occurred in collisions at low speeds.

The NHTSA’s educational effort has saved lives. In the decade between 1996 and 2006, front-seat fatalities in children under 12 decreased by 62%. James L. Nichols, former Director of Research at the NHTSA, says that this improved safety record is largely due to more parents requiring children to ride in back.

Auto manufacturers have paid attention to this issue as well, and they have developed air bags which are sensitive to the weight of the passenger. All automobiles manufactured after 2005 feature sophisticated second-generation airbags, which deploy more gently if a child or small adult is in the front seat. Or, the passenger airbag can be turned off if a child doesn’t weigh enough to activate it. Regardless of this technological improvement to front seat safety, the message from public heath agencies is still loud and clear. As New York State’s traffic safety website proclaims: “Children and Airbags do not mix”.

Back seat passengers, whatever their age, need to be properly restrained. A survey by the National Safety Council showed that only 34% of drivers require their back seat passengers to buckle up. Researchers at Johns Hopkins University demonstrated that “traffic crash mortality can be reduced for rear occupants by approximately 55-75% if they use safety belts.”

For adult back seat passengers, the full lap belt and shoulder belt (if available) must be worn. The shoulder belt distributes the force of the collision across the chest. It should never be placed under the arm, since that placement can result in damage to the heart. Children who are shorter than 4 feet 9 inches should sit in a booster seat, which will place them at the proper height for seat belt restraint.

Settling your children in the back seat, and making sure all your back seat passengers are properly secured will only take a few seconds but your reward can be beyond measure. Just ask Alison!