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the dashboard at up to 200 miles per hour — faster than the blink of an eye. 

The force of an air bag can hurt those who are too close to it. Drivers can help prevent air bag-related injuries to adults and children by following critical safety points. 

## Child Safety Points: 

• Children age 12 and under should ride buckled up in a rear seat; and 

• Infants in rear-facing child safety seats should NEVER ride in the front seat of a vehicle with a passenger-side air bag. Small children should ride in a rear seat in child safety seats approved for their age and size. 

## Adult Safety Points: 

• Everyone should buckle-up with both lap and shoulder belts on every trip. Air bags are supplemental protection devices; 

• The lap belt should be worn under the abdomen and low across the hips. The shoulder portion should come over the collarbone away from the neck and cross over the breastbone. The shoulder belt in most new cars can be adjusted on the side pillar to improve fit; and 

• Driver and front passenger seats should be moved as far back as practical, particularly for shorter-statured people. 

## North Carolina Motorcycle Safety Helmet Law 

All operators and passengers on motorcycles and mopeds must wear a motorcycle safety helmet of a type that complies with Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) 218. 

What to look for in a legal helmet: 

• A thick inner liner which includes a firm inner liner of polystyrene foam that is about one inch thick. In some helmets this may be covered by a comfort liner, but you can feel the thickness. (Non-compliant helmets normally contain no liner or a thin soft foam padding.) 

• A DOT sticker which will show the symbol “DOT” permanently installed  by the manufacturer on the back of the helmet. (Some “novelty type” helmets are supplied with a separate “DOT” sticker or one can be purchased separately and placed on the helmet by the motorcyclist. This does not make this a compliant helmet.) 

• A manufacturer’s label which is permanently attached in the interior of the helmet  by the manufacturer that includes the manufacturer’s name or identification, precise model, size, month and year of manufacture, type of shell and liner construction materials and an instruction label for cleaning and care of the helmet. 

## Law on Transporting Children in the Back of a Pick-up Truck 

North Carolina law prohibits children less than age 16 from riding in the open bed of a pick-up truck. (NCGS §20-135.2B)  An open bed or open cargo area is a bed or cargo area without permanent overhead restraining construction. 

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