When Should An Airbag; Inflate - Chevrolet 2013 Silverado Owner's Manual

Chevrolet Silverado Owner Manual - 2013 - crc 1st edition - 4/5/12
3-26 Seats and Restraints

When Should an Airbag

Inflate?

Frontal airbags are designed to
inflate in moderate to severe frontal
or near-frontal crashes to help
reduce the potential for severe
injuries mainly to the driver's or right
front passenger's head and chest.
However, they are only designed to
inflate if the impact exceeds a
predetermined deployment
threshold. Deployment thresholds
are used to predict how severe a
crash is likely to be in time for the
airbags to inflate and help restrain
the occupants.
Whether the frontal airbags will or
should deploy is not based on how
fast your vehicle is traveling.
It depends largely on what you hit,
the direction of the impact, and how
quickly your vehicle slows down.
Frontal airbags may inflate at
different crash speeds. For
example:
If the vehicle hits a stationary
object, the airbags could inflate
at a different crash speed than if
the vehicle hits a moving object.
If the vehicle hits an object that
deforms, the airbags could
inflate at a different crash speed
than if the vehicle hits an object
that does not deform.
If the vehicle hits a narrow object
(like a pole), the airbags could
inflate at a different crash speed
than if the vehicle hits a wide
object (like a wall).
If the vehicle goes into an object
at an angle, the airbags could
inflate at a different crash speed
than if the vehicle goes straight
into the object.
Thresholds can also vary with
specific vehicle design.
Black plate (26,1)
Frontal airbags are not intended to
inflate during vehicle rollovers, rear
impacts, or in many side impacts.
If the GVWR (Gross Vehicle Weight
Rating) of your vehicle is 3 855 kg
(8,500 lb) or above, the vehicle has
single stage airbags. If the GVWR is
below 3 855 kg (8,500 lb) then the
vehicle has dual stage airbags.
Vehicles with a full bench seat are
equipped with single state airbags.
You can find the GVWR on the
certification label on the rear edge
of the driver door. See Vehicle Load
Limits on page 9 15 for more
information.
The vehicle may have dual-stage
frontal airbags. Dual-stage airbags
adjust the restraint according to
crash severity. The vehicle has
electronic frontal sensors, which
help the sensing system distinguish
between a moderate frontal impact
and a more severe frontal impact.
For moderate frontal impacts,
dual-stage airbags inflate at a level