Munich - Children are only safely seated in the front of a car when they face backwards and the airbag is deactivated, recent tests by Germany's automobile association (ADAC) yielded.

If the child is fastened to a baby seat and facing the windscreen the airbag should always be deactivated.

For larger children the distance to the airbag should not be too close.

The crash test revealed that a child is relatively safe in a baby seat even at a speed of up to 64 km/h if the airbag is deactivated.

However, if the airbag is activated, the child could sustain serious head and neck injuries from the velocity of the airbag release, even at relatively low speeds, the ADAC warns.

Parents should consult the car handbook to see whether children can be transported in the passenger seat. In most cars the airbag can be deactivated at the switch of a button. (dpa)