Volkswagen Taigun 2022 Owner's Manual page 44

clothes may be in the deployment area of the
airbags.
WARNING
Risk of impairing the front airbags!
·
Do not cover or stick anything over the steering
wheel or the dash panel. This can prevent the
front airbags from deploying.
WARNING
Risk of impairing the side airbags!
·
Do not exert excessive force, e.g. impacts, on
the backrests.
·
Do not use seat covers that have not been ap-
proved by Volkswagen.
·
Any damage to seat covers at the side airbag lo-
cation must be repaired by a specialist garage.
Volkswagen recommends using seat covers
from the Volkswagen Genuine Accessories
range.
In some situations it is necessary to deactivate the
front passenger airbag, if the car is equipped with
a front passenger front airbag deactivation
switch » page 44.
WARNING
Cleaning agents containing solvents cause the sur-
face of the airbag units to become porous. In an
airbag deployment accident, the porous materials
can become loose and cause serious injury.
·
Never clean the dashboard or airbag covers with
solvent-based cleaning agents.
Functionality
Airbags are designed to protect the occupants of
a vehicle in frontal and side impacts of a certain in-
tensity by reducing their movement in the direction
of impact.
When activated, the airbag is inflated within milli-
seconds by a gas generator. This causes the airbag
covers to break and the airbags to inflate forcefully
to cover their areas of deployment.
As the occupant wearing a seat belt begins to sink
into the inflated airbag, the gas inside the airbag be-
gins to escape to trap the occupant and slow his or
her movement. This can reduce the risk of serious
and fatal injuries.
Important factors for airbag activation include the
type of accident, the angle of impact, the speed of
42 Restraint systems and airbags
the vehicle and the type of object the vehicle col-
lides with (hard or soft). Therefore, even visible ex-
tensive damage to the vehicle does not always mean
that the airbag should have been activated.
The deceleration of the vehicle in the event of an
impact registered by the control unit is decisive for
the activation of the airbag system. If the measured
impact deceleration does not reach the specified
reference values, the airbags are not activated, even
though the accident may cause very extensive de-
formation of the vehicle.
Damage to the vehicle, the cost of repairs or even
the absence of damage to the vehicle in an accident
may not be an indicator of whether or not an airbag
should be deployed.
As the circumstances of individual impacts can vary
considerably, it is not possible to define a range of
vehicle speeds and reference values. Therefore, it is
not possible to cover all possible types and angles of
impact that would lead to airbag activation.
Airbags can only be activated once and only in cer-
tain situations.
Seat belts are always available to provide protection
in situations where the airbags do not deploy or
have already deployed.
For example, if the vehicle collides with another ve-
hicle or is hit by another one after the initial colli-
sion.
The airbag system is part of the overall passive safe-
ty concept of the vehicle. The airbag system can on-
ly work effectively if the occupants are wearing their
seat belts correctly and are in the correct seating
position.
WARNING
When the airbag is activated, other injuries such as
swelling, bruising, burns and abrasions are not
ruled out. Airbag activation can also cause friction-
al heat.
WARNING
Airbags do not provide protection for the arms and
lower body.
WARNING
Airbag activation releases dust or vapour. This is
normal and not a sign of a fire in the vehicle.
Fine dust can irritate the skin and mucous mem-
branes of the eyes. It can also lead to respiratory
problems, especially in people who suffer or have
suffered from asthma or other respiratory disorders.