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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. In moderate to severe side
collisions, even belted occupants can contact the inside
of the vehicle. The airbag supplements the protection
provided by safety belts. Airbags distribute the force of
the impact more evenly over the occupant's upper body,
stopping the occupant more gradually. But the frontal
airbags would not help you in many types of collisions,
including rollovers, rear impacts, and many side impacts,
primarily because an occupant's motion is not toward the
airbag. Side impact airbags would not help you in many
types of collisions, including many frontal or near frontal
collisions, and rear impacts, primarily because an
occupant's motion is not toward those airbags. Airbags
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 for the frontal
airbags, and only in moderate to severe side collisions for
vehicles with a side impact airbag.
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What Will You See After an Airbag
Inflates?
After the airbag inflates, it quickly deflates, so quickly
that some people may not even realize the airbag
inflated. Some components of the airbag module may
be hot for a short time. These components include
the steering wheel hub for the driver's frontal airbag and
the instrument panel for the right front passenger's
frontal airbag. For seating positions with side impact
airbags, the side of the seatback closest to the door may
be hot. The parts of the airbag that come into contact
with you may be warm, but not too hot to touch.
There will be some smoke and dust coming from the
vents in the deflated airbags. Airbag inflation does
not prevent the driver from seeing out of the windshield
or being able to steer the vehicle, nor does it stop
people from leaving the vehicle.
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