Subaru 2002 Legacy Owner's Manual page 82

SRS side airbag deploys as
soon as a collision occurs.
After deployment, SRS side
airbag starts to deflate immedi-
ately.
The SRS side airbag can function only when the ignition switch is in
the "ON" position.
The driver's and front passenger's SRS side airbags deploy indepen-
dently of each other since each has its own impact sensor. Also, the
SRS side airbag deploys independently of the frontal airbags in the
steering wheel and instrument panel.
An impact sensor is incorporated into each of the vehicle's center pil-
lars. If either sensor detects a certain predetermined amount of force
during a side impact collision, the control module sends a signal to
the side airbag module on the impacted side of the vehicle, instruct-
ing it to inflate the SRS side airbag. Then the side airbag module pro-
duces gas, which instantly inflates the SRS side airbag. After the de-
ployment, the SRS side airbag immediately starts to deflate. The time
required from detecting impact to the deflation of the SRS side airbag
after deployment is shorter than the blink of an eye.
The SRS side airbag deploys even when no one occupies the seat on
the side of which an impact is applied.
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