Kia Cerato 2021 Manual page 72

Safety features of your vehicle
In order to help provide protection
in a severe collision, the air bags
must inflate rapidly. The speed of
the air bag inflation is a conse -
quence of extremely short time in
which a collision occurs and the
need to inflate the air bag
between the occupant and the
vehicle structures before the
occupant impacts those struc -
tures.
This speed of inflation reduces
the risk of serious or life-threat -
ening injuries in a severe collision
and is thus a necessary part of
the air bag design.
However, air bag inflation can also
cause injuries which can include
facial abrasions, bruises and bro -
ken bones because the inflation
speed also causes the air bags to
expand with a great deal of force.
There are even circumstances
under which contact with the
steering wheel air bag can cause
fatal injuries, especially if the
occupant is positioned excessively
close to the steering wheel.
WARNING
To avoid severe personal injury or
death caused by deploying air
bags in a collision, the driver
should sit as far back from the
steering wheel air bag as possible
(at least 250 mm (10 inches)
away). The front passengers
3 50
Air bag - supplemental restraint system
should always move their seats as
far back as possible and sit back in
their seat.
Air bags inflate instantly in the
event of a collision, and passen -
gers may be injured by the air bag
expansion force if they are not in
a proper position.
Air bag inflation may cause inju -
ries including facial or bodily abra -
sions, injuries from broken
glasses or burns.
Noise and smoke
When the air bags inflate, they
make a loud noise and they leave
smoke and powder in the air inside
of the vehicle. This is normal and is a
result of the ignition of the air bag
inflator. After the air bag inflates,
you may feel substantial discomfort
in breathing due to the contact of
your chest with both the seat belt
and the air bag, as well as from
breathing the smoke and powder.
Open your doors and/or windows as
soon as possible after the impact in
order to reduce discomfort and pre -
vent prolonged exposure to smoke
and powder.
Though the smoke and powder are
non-toxic, they may cause irrita -
tion to the skin (eyes, nose and
throat, etc). If this is the case, wash
and rinse with cold water immedi -