Car Safety

IPS staff drive thousands of miles per year all across Tennessee. Safety is always a concern. Here's a safety tip regarding frontal air bags that I received from the Oak Ridge National Lab:

Between 1987 and 2008 frontal air bags saved more than 25,000 lives---and injured many drivers and passengers who didn't know how to protect themselves from their explosive force. To optimize your safety in a crash, follow these simple steps:

* Sit upright with your back against the seat and feet on the floor with at least 10 inches between the air bag and your chest.

* Tilt the steering wheel toward your chest instead of your head and neck. Avoid tilting it toward your abdomen if you are pregnant.

* Slightly recline the driver's seat to increase your distance from the steering wheel if you are smaller than average.

* We don't transport children while working, but while on personal travel, place children under 13 in an appropriate child restraint system in the rear seat. If you must transport a child younger than 13 in the front seat, be sure to turn off the bag.

Most importantly, remember that air bags do not replace properly worn seat belts or child restraint systems. Always wear the lap belt snugly under the abdomen and low across the hips and make sure the shoulder belt crosses the collarbone and chest, not the neck.

For more information visit

this safety web site.