What Makes An Airbag Inflate; How Does An Airbag Restrain; What Will You See After An Airbag; Inflates - GMC Chevrolet Cavalier 2022 Owner's Manual

Whether the frontal airbags will or should
inflate is not based primarily on how fast
the vehicle is traveling. It depends on what
is hit, the direction of the impact, and how
quickly the vehicle slows down.
Frontal airbags may inflate at different crash
speeds depending on whether the vehicle
hits an object straight on or at an angle,
and whether the object is fixed or moving,
rigid or deformable, narrow or wide.
Frontal airbags are not intended to inflate
during vehicle rollovers, in rear impacts,
or in many side impacts. In mild frontal,
near-frontal, side-frontal, corner-to-corner,
side-scratch impacts, or when the vehicle
hits a cylindrical object (such as a utility
pole or tree), or rear-end collisions under the
tailgate of a large vehicle (such as a truck),
frontal airbags may not inflate.
Seat-mounted side impact airbags are
designed to inflate in moderate to severe
side crashes depending on the location of
the impact. Seat-mounted side impact
airbags are not designed to inflate in frontal
impacts, near frontal impacts, rollovers,
or rear impacts. A seat-mounted side impact
airbag is designed to inflate on the side of
the vehicle that is struck.
Airbags do not inflate for every single crash.
In any particular crash, no one should
simply judge whether an airbag should have
inflated according to the casualties, vehicle
damage, or repair costs. The vehicle has a
crash sensing and diagnostics module which
may record information after a crash which
reached a certain severity. If you have any
questions about the performance of the
airbags in the vehicle, contact your dealer
for professional analysis and diagnosis.

What Makes an Airbag Inflate?

In a deployment event, the sensing system
sends an electrical signal triggering a release
of gas from the inflator. Gas from the
inflator fills the airbag causing the bag to
break out of the cover. The inflator, the
airbag, and related hardware are all part of
the airbag module.
For airbag locations, see Where Are the
Airbags? 0 29.

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.
Seats and Restraints
In moderate to severe side collisions, even
belted occupants can contact the inside of
the vehicle.
Airbags supplement the protection provided
by seat belts by distributing the force of the
impact more evenly over the
occupant's body.
But airbags would not help in many types
of collisions, primarily because the
occupant's motion is not toward those
airbags. See When Should an Airbag Inflate?
0 30.
Airbags should never be regarded as
anything more than a supplement to seat
belts.
What Will You See after an
Airbag Inflates?
After frontal and seat-mounted side impact
airbags inflate, they quickly deflate, so
quickly that some people may not even
realize the airbags inflated.
Some components of the airbag module
may be hot for several minutes. For location
of the airbags, see Where Are the Airbags?
0 29.
31