method and apparatus for disabling an airbag system for a seating position within a motor vehicle in which one or more electromagnetic wave occupant sensors are situated in a roof above the seat , the presence or absence of an occupant of the seating position is detected using the electromagnetic wave occupant sensor , the airbag system is disabled if the seating position is unoccupied , the proximity of an occupant to the airbag door is detected if the seating position is occupied and the airbag system is disabled if the occupant is closer to the airbag door than a predetermined distance , i . e ., out - of - position . further , the airbag deployment parameters , e . g ., rate of inflation and time of deployment , may be modified to adjust inflation of the airbag according to proximity of the occupant to the airbag door . the presence or absence of the occupant is preferably accomplished using pattern recognition techniques to process the waves received by the electromagnetic wave - occupant sensor .