How Does An Airbag Restrain; What Will You See After An Airbag Inflates - Chevrolet 2006 TrailBlazer EXT Owner's Manual

How Does an Airbag 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 airbag supplements the protection
provided by safety belts. Airbags distribute the force of
the impact more evenly over the occupant's upper
body, stopping the occupant more gradually. But the
frontal airbags 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 airbag. Roof-mounted side impact
airbags would not help you in many types of collisions,
including many frontal or near frontal collisions, and
rear impacts, primarily because an occupant's motion is
not toward those airbags. Airbags 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 right front
passenger's frontal airbags, and only in moderate to
severe side collisions or rollovers for the roof-mounted
side impact airbags.
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What Will You See After an Airbag
Inflates?
After a frontal airbag inflates, it quickly deflates,
so quickly that some people may not even realize the
airbag inflated. Roof-mounted side impact airbags
deflate more slowly and may still be at least partially
inflated minutes after the vehicle comes to rest. Some
components of the airbag module may be hot for a
short time. These components include the steering
wheel hub for the driver's frontal airbag and the
instrument panel for the right front passenger's frontal
airbag. For vehicles with side impact airbags, the ceiling
of your vehicle near the side windows may be hot.
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 airbags. Airbag inflation does not prevent
the driver from seeing out of the windshield or being
able to steer the vehicle, nor does it stop people
from leaving the vehicle.