What action is recommended if the steering wheel must be displaced during extrication and the air bag has not deployed?

When dealing with an extrication situation where the steering wheel must be moved but the airbag has not deployed, disconnecting the battery cables is crucial for safety. This action prevents any potential deployment of the airbag while the vehicle is being worked on. Airbags are designed to deploy upon certain thresholds of impact; however, they can sometimes be erratic or unintentionally deploy due to movement or electrical fault.

By disconnecting the battery, you eliminate the electrical signals that could trigger the airbag, ensuring that rescuers and the trapped individual are not endangered during the process of extricating a person from the vehicle. This precaution is a standard part of vehicle extrication protocols, as it addresses a critical safety aspect that could lead to serious injury if the airbag were to activate unexpectedly.

Other options, such as forcing the steering wheel aside without precaution or leaving it as is, do not account for the potential risks involved with an undetermined status of an airbag. Calling for further instructions could delay the emergency response efforts, which is not ideal in situations where every second counts.