Florida Toddler Dies After Side Airbag Deploys in Collision

AP ^ | February 28, 2003

[Sweet_Sunflower29]

A 4-year-old girl died Friday of injuries suffered when a collision deployed an airbag in her mother's minivan while the child was in the front passenger seat. Raven Leigh Manley died at a Gainesville hospital four days after her neck was broken as her mother brought her home from ballet class. A hospital spokesman said Angelique Manley decided to take her daughter off life support.

Raven was not in her car seat Monday when Manley's Chevrolet Venture rear-ended a car. Bay County sheriff's deputies are still investigating the crash, which caused a minor dent on the minivan.

Her mother said she had been under the impression that the airbag had been disabled.

"She's going to be with Jesus," Angelique Manley said, weeping at her daughter's bedside Thursday. "Tell parents to keep their children in their car seats no matter how much they want to sit up front."

In the past decade, 227 people - 141 children and 86 adults - have died and another 48 - 35 children and 13 adults - have received life-threatening injuries from airbags, according to the Transportation Department. The federal government also estimates the bags have saved 10,000 lives.

Florida law calls for use of a crash-tested, federally approved restraint for children under 6.

Federal safety officials recommend that children under age 13 ride in the back seat because it is the safest place in a vehicle. They say children under 12 should never sit in the front seat of a vehicle equipped with an airbag.

[TheLurkerX]

Too bad the little girl had a complete f'ing idiot for a mother.

[general_re]

Just a reminder of something everyone should already know:

"...children under 12 should never sit in the front seat of a vehicle equipped with an airbag."

[pepsionice]

There ought to be a $500 fine everytime a cop sees this. If people just don't understand...then make it an expensive lesson. In Germany, its a hefty fine if any kid less than 12 is in the front seat. They actually put points on your record for this.

[buickmackane]

As the mother of a young child myself, this particularly outrages me. What next, is this idiot going to try and deflect the blame from herself by suing the manufacturers? That woman sentenced her child to death with her own stupidity. My prayers go to the rest of Raven Leigh's surviving family.

[mcsparkie]

So if the government puts a loaded gun in the glove compartment, wired to go off if opened, and puts a sign it that says "do not open" and a little kid does it anyway, because the kid can't read, then that's ok?

What the he!! kind of government does that, anyway?

[Drammach]

"...children under 12 should never sit in the front seat of a vehicle equipped with an airbag."

Never mind the airbags;
children under 12 should never sit in the front seat of a vehicle.

[Movemout]

Sorry folks, but I disagree. Our nannies have decided that the best way to protect us is by placing an explosive device in our vehicles whether we like it or not. I have a Ford 250 which allows me to turn off the device if I so desire. What if I have a young niece in my truck and I forget? Did I place the explosive in such a place that might cause her decapacitation or did the government?

[js1138]

Man I'm glad I don't have any young children any more. Seems like someone could engineer a safer system.

[hmmmmm]

Ok, where is it? You know, my award! I survived my entire childhood riding in the front seat without seatbelts and without *gasp* the life-saving AIRBAG... certainly I'm the only one who did so..... again I ask, where's my award!?! /sarcasm

Is there no end to the PC garbage.....

[happygrl]

I have to agree with Movemout. Not only are these airbags dangerous for children, they are also dangerous for small adults.

Another not-infrequent occurrance now is the death of infants and children left in the back seat of vehicles by distracted adults. How many of these instances occurred before this mandatory requirement to put children out of sight ? Some of these have occurred as a result of changes in routine, i.e. a babysitter or a father who infrequently drops off a child to a babysitter before work. Anyone who has been a parent has had a moment when they've lost their mind so to speak. I don't think these terrible tragedies were as frequent when babies and toddlers were strapped in the front seat. The reason requiring them to be in the back seat now is these infernal airbags.

[Movemout]

Only the government could concoct a scenario in which mandatory explosive devices are used to save lives but take them at the same time. Hello George Orwell, how have you been?

[general_re]

For every life that airbags take, 45 lives are saved.