Typically, the PACOS is found on the passenger side of the dashboard. You may need to open the passenger door to access the switch if it is on the side of the dashboard, in the glovebox, or on the dashboard itself.
You require a unique key that you enter into the switch and turn in order to shift the switch from one position to another.
The activation of one of the control lights in the dashboard often serves as confirmation that the airbag has been deactivated.
Verify if the airbag can genuinely be turned off. This feature is not available on all cars, especially older ones.
If the vehicle lacks a switch to turn the passenger airbag on and off, the airbag will always remain on.
A device that automatically disables airbags is installed by some manufacturers, including Mazda and Mercedes. Depending on the situation, such as when the passenger seat is empty, these vehicles automatically deactivate the airbag.
It is advised that all youngsters ride in the back seats if the passenger airbag cannot be deactivated.
Remember, if you’re using a front-facing child seat, DON’T deactivate the front passenger airbag.
Be aware that occasionally the electric seatbelt tensioner on the passenger side will also be deactivated if the passenger airbag is deactivated.
Drivers who install a rearward-facing child car seat in the front where an active airbag is present are subject to a fine. If detected, you could incur at least three penalty points on your driving record.
When a passenger is about to sit in the seat, don’t forget to reactivate the airbag.
In This Article...
Why is it possible to disable the passenger airbag?
The mechanism may automatically switch off if the bag is heavy enough to activate it but not safe enough for the airbag to deploy. There may be a problem with the system if there is an adult seated in the front seat and the passenger airbag light is still lit up as “OFF.”
When the airbag is deactivated, may a youngster travel in the front seat?
Children must ride in a kid seat that is either installed in the front or back of a vehicle. Children must be between the ages of three and twelve, or up to the height of 135 cm (4’4″) in the UK and 150 cm (4’9) in Ireland. A child is no longer obliged to ride in a child seat after they reach the height of 135 cm (4′ 4″); instead, they must now buckle up.
To reduce the danger of injury, we strongly advise that kids ride in the back and stay there as long as possible. However, if you utilize a kid seat and adhere to the following safety guidelines, you are permitted to have them in the front:
- You must turn off the front airbags before installing a rear-facing child seat.
- To maximize the distance between the child and the airbag when using a forward-facing child seat, you should recline the passenger seat as far back as you can.
It’s also important to remember that it is the driver’s obligation to make sure any passenger under the age of 14 is buckled up.
If there is a child in the front seat, do you switch off the airbag?
Experts on child car seats advise parents not to let kids ride in the front passenger seat of a vehicle.
Children under the age of 12 “are the most at danger when the frontal airbag deploys in a crash,” claims Child Seat Safety in a Facebook post.
The article also emphasizes that it is legally required to deactivate the airbag before installing a rear-facing kid seat in the front passenger seat.
states Child Seat Safety: “The front passenger seat should ideally not be occupied by young children, especially those under the age of 12, as they are most at risk when the frontal airbag deploys in a collision.
“Be careful where you put children, especially small children and newborns in safety seats, to avoid this risk.
“It is recommended that kids ride in the back seat in approved child safety seats that are fastened with seat belts.
“You should always confirm and heed any specific instructions provided by your vehicle’s manufacturer.
The back seats are “safer constrained.” According to official government recommendations, kids are generally safer in the backseats of cars.
According to the DfT’s “Vehicle airbags: safety guidance,” “You should always heed the recommendations of the vehicle and child restraint manufacturers when determining where to take your kids in your car.
“When transporting kids in the front seat facing forward, make sure they are always securely buckled up, and lock the seat back as far as you can.
Director of Child Seat Safety and Road Safety GB expert on child car seats, Julie Dagnall, stated to Manchester Evening News: “Before installing any child seat in the front passenger seat, it is crucial to read the manual for the vehicle to ensure proper installation.
“If a rear-facing vehicle seat is being used, an airbag must be legally deactivated. According to data from UK road traffic collisions, it is safer to sit in the backseats, so wherever possible, kids should do so.
How does a Nissan Qashqai’s passenger airbag deactivate?
Insert the key into the front passenger air bag switch, which is located within the glove box, with the ignition switch in the LOCK position. The front passenger air bag can be deactivated by turning the switch to the position.
Do I turn on or off the passenger airbag light?
Only when there is an issue with the airbag system in the car should the airbag warning light remain illuminated. The car’s computer runs a system check each time you turn the key. In order to demonstrate that it is functioning, the light briefly illuminates before turning off.
How do airbags in a car be triggered?
When an adult-sized individual is spotted in the passenger seat, the front passenger air bags will immediately deploy. The illuminated word ON on the PASSENGER AIR BAG control on the center console will indicate this. Even with an adult-sized person seated in the passenger seat, the air bag may not deploy. The word OFF will appear on the control in this situation. Do not operate the car if the air bag control cannot detect the person in the passenger seat. Do the following instead:
Once the air bag control has signaled ON after starting the car, keep the passenger and their seat in place for one minute. The air bag will remain on for one minute after which the passenger may modify their seat and seating posture.
Unexpected Necessity Over a Short Distance
Children above the age of 3 may ride in the back using an adult seat belt if a suitable child restraint is not available. For emergency and unforeseen circumstances, this exception applies. For instance, when someone must carry a child over a short distance due to a “unexpected necessity” and not carrying the child (because a child restraint is not accessible) could put that person in danger. It does not apply to “long” journeys or to children under the age of three, or to trips that could have been reasonably arranged (such as a school run). Children under the age of three cannot be transported in a vehicle without a seat belt or the proper kid car seat.
When three child restraints cannot be fitted in the rear
Two children up to 135 cm in height must travel in child seats, and the third child may use an adult seat belt on its own if there is not enough room in the backseat for three child restraints. Children younger than 3 years old are not eligible for this exemption.
Instead of using the adult seat belt in the back, it could be preferable for the third child to ride in a child safety seat up front. Check with the car’s manufacturer or owner’s manual before employing a child restraint in the front if the passenger airbag is active. If so, slide the front seat as far back on its runners as you can.
In the front, a rearward-facing child seat is not permitted if the front airbag is deployed.
Licensed Taxis (including private hire vehicles and minicabs)
Children under 3 years must travel in the back but may be unrestrained if a kid restraint is not available. Children 3 years old and older who are up to 135 cm tall must ride in the back and buckle up with an adult. Children who are 12 years old or taller than 135 cm may ride in the front seat, but they must use the seat belt. (See the section on other vehicles.)
Emergency Vehicles
If suitable restraints are not available, children may be transported in vehicles utilized by the police or other emergency services without the use of child restraints.
When is a child old enough to sit in the front?
The majority of the time, the response is not before the age of 13. The general consensus is that children should be allowed to sit in the front seat of a moving vehicle, while some organizations advise against it until the youngster is old enough to operate a vehicle on their own.
Your child is one-third less likely to perish in an accident while buckled up in the back seat of the automobile. This is especially true in head-on collisions, in which youngsters in the front seat are frequently launched through the windshield or into the dashboard.
This is especially crucial if your car includes air bags. Because your child is smaller than an adult and not positioned properly for the airbags to be safe, the force with which they deploy could cause injury or even death.
Your child is still at risk even if they are in a rear-facing car seat in the front seat, which is the safest option but still not ideal for the front of the vehicle. This is a result of the seat’s back being so close to the dash board, which houses the airbags. If you must place your child in the front seat of the vehicle, make sure that they are facing forward and that they are the least likely to try to escape the seat. If your airbags can be turned off, locate it and flip it. Choose the biggest and tallest child to sit in the front if your child is no longer in a car seat and you are transporting multiple children. No rear-facing seat should be used in the front seat without the passenger airbag being turned off first.
Basically, you should aim to steer clear of this if at all possible. Simply put, your youngster is safer in the back seat.