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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 14 to 18 mph (23 to 29 kmh). 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 and
near-frontal impacts.
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 module inside the
steering wheel.
How does an air bag restrain?
In moderate to severe frontal or near-frontal collisions,
even belted occupants can contact the steering wheel.
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 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 the air bag.
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.
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.
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