Jersey Road Safety Hub

Car Seating Positions

Sitting correctly in your vehicle is essential for your safety. This guidance explains how to maintain a safe seating position so your seatbelt and airbags can protect you effectively.

Table of Contents

Why Seating Position Matters

Airbags work with seatbelts to reduce the risk of serious injury in a collision. They deploy extremely quickly in a moderate or severe frontal impact, expanding and deflating within milliseconds.

Because this happens with considerable force, your seating position is crucial.

  • Sitting too close places you inside the deployment zone, increasing the chance of injuries to the head, chest, arms, or legs.
  • While sitting correctly allows the airbag to cushion you safely after it has fully inflated.

Safe Seating Positions 

Below is a table featuring seating safety tips for various road user types.

Road User Type Safety Tips
Drivers

  • Keep about 25 cm (10 inches) between your chest and the steering wheel.

  • Sit upright with your back against the seat.

  • Avoid leaning forward while driving.

  • Keep your hands on either side of the steering wheel so they aren’t in the airbag’s path.

  • Pregnant drivers should sit as far back as comfortable whilst still keeping full control.

  • Drivers using steering aids should check compatibility as certain devices crossing the wheel centre may not be safe.

Shorter, Lighter Drivers (below approx. 160 cm / 55 kg)

  • Sitting too close increases injury risk during deployment.

  • Slide the seat back while still safely reaching the pedals. 

  • Slightly recline the seatback if extra distance is needed. 

  • If possible, tilt the steering wheel downward so the airbag aims at your chest, not your head. 

  • If reaching the pedals is still difficult, consider the use of pedal extenders. 
Passengers

  • Sit upright and as far back from the dashboard as possible. 

  • Keep feet off the dashboard, as a deploying airbag can cause severe leg and hip injuries. 

  • Keep the dashboard clear of objects or loose items. 
Children

  • Children are safest in the rear seats. 

  • Never use a rear‑facing child seat in front of an active airbag. 

  • Forward‑facing seats in the front should only be used if the seat can be moved far back and fitted securely. 

  • Always follow guidance from both the car and child‑seat manufacturer.

  • For more details please visit our page on Child Car Seats by clicking here.

Airbag Safety

  • Follow your vehicle manufacturer’s guidance on long‑term airbag maintenance and replacement. Some systems need inspection or renewal after a set number of years, so check your manual and follow the recommendations.
  • Never attempt to tamper with or disable an airbag system yourself. Unauthorised changes can stop the system working properly or even cause an unexpected deployment.
  • Keep the airbag area completely clear. Avoid placing covers, accessories, or loose items on the steering wheel, dashboard, or over side‑airbag panels, as these can obstruct the airbag when it inflates.
  • Make sure everyone in the vehicle wears their seatbelt correctly on every journey. Airbags are designed to work in partnership with seatbelts, and without one the force of deployment can cause far more serious injuries.
  • Seek immediate assistance if the airbag or SRS warning light comes on. A lit or flashing warning light means the system may not deploy when needed or could deploy unpredictably, so have it checked by a qualified technician as soon as possible.

This guidance has been informed by: RoSPA – Road Safety Factsheet: Airbags (March 2024).