The air bag is considered an important part of a vehicle's occupant restraint system. In combination with the knee bolsters, seat belts, and steering column, the air bag manages the energy of an occupant during a frontal collision. The special crash investigation database indicates that air bags have saved over 2500 lives. However, through November 1997, the database has attributed 87 deaths to air bags. Forty-nine of these deaths were infants and children who were riding in the front passenger seat. Most of the 35 drivers whose deaths are associated with air bags were smaller adults. In many of these cases, the occupant was unbelted, or improperly belted.
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