If something is between an occupant and an air
bag, the bag might not inflate properly
or
it
might force the object into that person. The path
of an inflating air bag must be kept clear. Don’t
put anything between an occupant and an air
bag, and don’t attach or put anything
on
the
steering wheel hub or on or near any other air
bag covering.
When should an air bag inflate?
An air bag
is
designed to inflate
in
a moderate to severe
frontal or near-frontal crash. The air bag
will
inflate
only if the impact speed is above the system’s designed
“threshold level.” If your vehicle goes straight into a
wall that doesn’t move or deform, the threshold level is
about
9
to
16
mph
(14
to
26
km/h). The threshold level
can vary, however, with specific vehicle design,
so
that
it can be somewhat above or below this range. If your
vehicle strikes something that will move or deform, such
as
a parked car, the threshold level will be higher. The
air
bag
is
not
designed
to
inflat.e in rollovers, side
impacts or rear impacts, because inflation would
not
help the occupant.
In any particular crash, no one can say whether an air
bag should have inflated simply because
of
the damage
to a vehicle or because
of
what the repair costs were.
Inflation is determined by the angle of the impact and
how quickly the vehicle slows down
in
frontal or
near-frontal impacts.
The air bag system is designed to work properly under
a
wide range of conditions, including off-road usage.
Observe safe driving speeds, especially on rough
terrain.
As
always, wear your safety belt. See “Off-Road
Driving” in the Index for more tips
on
off-road driving.
What makes an air bag inflate?
In an impact
of
sufficient severity, the air bag sensing
system detects that
the
vehicle is
in
a
crash. The sensing
system triggers a release of
gas
from the inflator, which
inflates the air bag. The inflator, air bag and related
hardware are all part of
the
air bag modules inside the
steering wheel and
in
the
instrument panel
in
front of the
right front passenger.
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