I've always driven with the most (comfortable) distance between me and the steering wheel. My reasoning has been that maybe I'm safer when there's more space between me and the windshield, steering wheel, etc. and that there's a tiny bit more time for that airbag to inflate should the need arise.
In general more space between you and the airbag is safer. You want it to be fully inflated before you hit it. But they're designed to inflate in the time it takes a typical person to impact the airbag. Basically all you need to do is sit back in your seat and in a comfortable position and you should be okay.
Every now and then you see nervous drivers sitting forwards in their seat with their face near the wheel. It's scary to think what would happen if the airbag were to deploy. Just don't be that person.
Also, be careful sitting too far away that you're not locking your elbows. You might cause serious injury to your arms in even a minor crash.
Well, I do know what happens in that situation. My friend used to be one of those drivers, with the steering wheel literally on her chest, holding the steering wheel as if she was hugging it. She always said that's what was comfortable for her. Until she had an accident - and obviously the airbag had nowhere to go and pushed pieces of plastic from the steering wheel directly in her chest, avoiding the heart by millimeters, and also cracked nearly every rib in her chest. She had to have multiple operations to remove the little bits of plastic form multiple points in her body. Suffice to say, she drives like a normal person now.
