How Does an Air Bag Restrain?
In moderate to severe frontal or near frontal collisions,
even belted occupants can contact the steering wheel
or the instrument panel. In moderate to severe side
collisions, even belted occupants can contact the inside
of the vehicle. The air bag supplements the protection
provided by safety belts. Air bags distribute the force
of the impact more evenly over the occupant’s upper
body, stopping the occupant more gradually. But the
frontal air bags would not help you in many types of
collisions, including rollovers, rear impacts, and many
side impacts, primarily because an occupant’s motion is
not toward the air bag. Side impact air bags would not
help you in many types of collisions, including frontal or
near frontal collisions, rollovers, and rear impacts,
primarily because an occupant’s motion is not toward
those air bags. Air bags should never be regarded as
anything more than a supplement to safety belts, and
then only in moderate to severe frontal or near-frontal
collisions for the driver’s and passenger’s frontal air bags,
and only in moderate to severe side collisions for vehicles
with a driver’s and passenger’s side impact air bag.
What Will You See After an
Air Bag Inflates?
After the air bag inflates, it quickly deflates, so quickly that
some people may not even realize the air bag inflated.
Some components of the air bag module will be hot for a
short time. These components include the steering wheel
hub for the driver’s frontal air bag and the instrument
panel for the passenger’s frontal air bag and the side of
the seatback closest to the driver’s and/or passenger’s
door. The parts of the bag that come into contact with you
may be warm, but not too hot to touch. There will be
some smoke and dust coming from the vents in the
deflated air bags. Air bag inflation doesn’t prevent the
driver from seeing or being able to steer the vehicle,
nor does it stop people from leaving the vehicle.
{CAUTION:
When an air bag inflates, there is dust in the
air. This dust could cause breathing problems
for people with a history of asthma or other
breathing trouble. To avoid this, everyone in
CAUTION: (Continued)
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