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. Air bags supplement 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 air bags would not help you in many types of
collisions, including rollovers, rear impacts and side
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.
What will you see after an air bag inflates?
After an 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
--
the steering wheel hub for the driver’s
air bag, or the instrument panel for the right front
passenger’s bag
--
will be
hot
for a short time. 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 vents in the deflated air
bags. Air bag inflation doesn’t prevent the driver from
seeing or from being able to steer
the
vehicle, nor does
it stop people from leaving the vehicle.
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 the
vehicle should get out as soon
as
it is safe to do
so.
If
you have breathing problems but can’t get out
of the vehicle after an air bag inflates, then get
fresh air by opening a window or door.
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