Is it safer for a petite girl with short legs to have an air bag, or not have an air bag?

Answer 1

Any answer to this question will be a generalizaion. Air bags from different manufacturers are designed differently. The most accurate information on any specific airbag if from the people who made it. Before you buy a car Read The Manual. It will tell you height and weight for safe usage of this particular air bag. If you are not within the safe range then do not buy that car.

The source of car information I trust most is Phil Edmonston who writes the books "Lemon-Aid", He updates the book every year and gives detailed safety and maintance ratings for almost every model of car. He doesn't favor any manufacturer and tells you outright if a car is good or bad, if it's safe or going to cost you a pile of money to maintain.

At the beginning of his books he has general writeups on various topics. He is not afraid of new technoligy, but he collects statistics, doesn't pull his punches and backs up EVERYTHING he says with reliable sources. The following excerpts are from "2007 Lemon-Aid SUV's, Van's and Trucks" by Phil Edmonston, page 34.

"No airbag is safe, although some model years are safter than others".
If you are looking at a used car be VERY careful. A 1999 study showed "Air bags reduce the risk of injurty by only 2 percend for adults who wear seat belts" but "increase the risk of injury to women by 9 percent".
On the other hand the newer airbags are better. Phil also states: "Airbags, except for full-powered, pre-1997 systems, shouldn't be disabled; their benefits generally outweigh their shortcomings".
For smaller people he states "If you feel vulnerable, you'll want to choose a vehicle with adjustable brake and accelerator pedals or an adjustable seat that can travel backward far enough to keep you at a safe distance". I think you can also buy pedal extenders that snap on top of the pedals to help you find a confortable distance.

Conclusion: I suggest reading Lemon-Aid or Consumre Reports writeup on any car you intend to buy; BUT check the manual that comes with the car to determine if the car is safe for YOU to drive. Taking any general advice on this topic is NOT safe.

Answer 2

People always tend to dwell on the negative; air bags have saved far more lives than seat belts, either can injure or kill a person. But, air bags are new; people fear new things, especially when they do not understand how they work. Seat belts are easy to figure out; airbags, who knows?
Anyway, if you are seated properly, including keeping a proper distance (not sitting too far forward), you are at little risk from the air bag. Keep your seat belt snug, so if the airbag is inflated, you will not be thrown forward into the airbag.
The main thing is to not be anxious about it.
You'll be okay.

Answer 3

There's been some controversy about this. Researchers recently found that people under 5'3" sustained air bag injuries more than people over that height; thus coming to the conclusion that short people are more at risk from air bags than are protected by them.

Answer 4

always go with an airbag, even if you face is two inches from the steering wheel.

Answer 5

to safely ride in the front passenger seat you need to be 5'2