A
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 inflate 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.
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