airbags

[snadge]

could an airbag in a front passenger seat of a car be of any danger to my six year old son if he sits in that seat? Will it harm him if it goes off?

[Ethel]

Why are airbags dangerous for children?

Airbags were made to protect adults weighing about 75kg. They are very powerful when they are inflated and they are placed so low that a child placed in front of an airbag may suffocate or be severely injured by the impact of a rapidly inflating airbag.

If your child is younger than 12 years, they must never sit in a front-seat with an active airbag in front of them. When your child is over 12 and wants to sit in the front seat, move the seat as far back as possible.

A child seat must never be fitted in the front passenger seat if the car has a passenger side airbag. Some cars enable the driver to switch off the airbag. But it should be switched on again when an adult is using the seat.

[Buenchico]

The official government website isn't quite as prescriptive as Ethel's answer. Quote:
"Can I use a forward facing child seat or booster in a seat fitted with an active air-bag?

See what the car handbook says about children in seats with frontal air-bags. This can vary from car to car. We strongly recommend that advice should be followed because air-bags are powerful safety devices that must be treated with respect. Children, and adults for that matter, should not sit close to an active frontal air-bag. We suggest that the car seat should be as far back as possible from an air-bag."

Source:
http://www.thinkroadsafety.gov.uk/campaigns/ch ildcarseats/childcarseats.htm#18

Chris