How air bags work | Correct seat adjustment | Air bags & children | Air bag injuries | Deactivating air bags | Used cars with air bags
| Do I have an air bag? | Deployment zone |
Air bags need an average of 10 inches of space to inflate in. This is called the deployment zone. All drivers should sit at least 10 inches away from the air bag module (in the steering wheel) and wear their seatbelts in order to minimize injuries and enjoy the benefits of the air bag once it has completely or almost completely inflated.
Sitting any closer than 10 inches puts you at risk of making contact with the air bag while it's still in the process of inflating.
Passenger side air bags are larger so passengers should move the vehicle seat back as far as possible to provide plenty of room for the inflating air bag.
