Current rear facing infant seats, which were initially designed to be placed in the front passenger seat, represent mortal danger to infants when a passenger airbag is present.
This paper deals with the theory and concepts behind an Airbag Safe Infant Seat (ASIS). The ASIS takes advantage of the airbag impact energy when placed in front passenger seats with an airbag1.
Crash test data and collaborating analysis are presented to describe the process of converting an aluminum ASIS to one made of polymers in order to enhance safety and affordability.
In support of the ASIS effort, data is presented regarding “transporting infants safely”, which demonstrates that rear seat placement of infants can, and often does, contribute to crashes. Other supportive data demonstrates that due to lack of availability, the airbag cutoff switch is not a viable solution.