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How
does an
air
bag restrain?
In
moderate to severe frontal or near-frontal collisions,
even
belted occupants can contact the steering wheel
or the instrument panel. Air bags supplement the
protection provided by safety belts. Air bags distribute
the force
of
the impact more evenly over the occupant's
upper body, stopping the occupant more gradually. But
air bags would not help you in many types of collisions,
including rollovers, rear impacts and side impacts,
primarily because an occupant's motion is not toward
those air bags. Air bags 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.
What will you see after an air bag inflates?
After an air bag inflates, it quickly deflates, so
quickly that some people may not even realize the
air bag inflated. Some components of the air bag
module -- the steering wheel hub for the driver's air bag,
or the instrument panel for the right front passenger's
bag
--
will be hot for a short time. The parts of the bag
that come into contact with you may be warm, but not
too hot to touch. There will be
some
smoke and dust
coming
from vents
in the
deflated air bags. Air bag
inflation doesn't prevent the driver from seeing or from
being able to steer the vehicle, nor does it stop people
from leaving the vehicle.
A
CAUTION:
When an air bag inflates, there
is dust in the air.
This dust could cause breathing problems for
people with a history of asthma or other
breathing trouble. To avoid this, everyone in the
vehicle should get out as soon as it is safe to do so.
If you have breathing problems but can't get out
of the vehicle after an air bag inflates, then get
fresh air by opening a window or door.
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