NCJ Number
174233
Journal
Police Chief Volume: 65 Issue: 7 Dated: July 1998 Pages: 47-49
Date Published
1998
Length
3 pages
Annotation
This article instructs police officers in safety principles for driving air-bag-equipped vehicles and how to manage traffic accidents in which air bags are deployed or undeployed.
Abstract
Officers should take certain precautions when their vehicle is equipped with a driver-side and/or passenger-side air bag. Officers should always wear a safety restraint and make sure there is no slack in the belt; provide as much room as possible between the driver and the steering wheel by adjusting the seat and steering wheel; use the 9-3 o'clock position of hands on the steering wheel; and make sure that vehicle equipment does not affect air-bag deployment on the passenger side. Regarding deployed air bags at a traffic-accident scene, the article advises that they are not dangerous; they are not very hot nor about to catch fire; they deploy one time only and pose no danger after deployment. When a vehicle at a crash scene has been struck from the side or rear, the air bag will normally not deploy. Although it is rare, an air bag can suddenly deploy when metal and electrical circuits are cut or when rams are used to force metal apart during the extrication of victims. This can cause further injury to victims and officers who are assisting at the scene. Although every crash poses unique conditions, this article suggests some procedures that will help minimize the risks posed by undeployed air bags.