What Makes An Airbag Inflate; How Does An Airbag Restrain - Chevrolet 2007 Avalanche Owner's Manual

In any particular crash, no one can say whether
an airbag should have inflated simply because
of the damage to a vehicle or because of what the
repair costs were. For frontal airbags, inflation is
determined by what the vehicle hits, the angle
of the impact, and how quickly the vehicle slows
down. For roof-mounted rollover airbags,
inflation is determined by the location and
severity of the impact or a rollover event.
The airbag system is designed to work properly
under a wide range of conditions, including off-road
usage. Observe safe driving speeds, especially
on rough terrain. As always, wear your safety belt.
See Off-Road Driving on page 368 for tips on
off-road driving.
What Makes an Airbag Inflate?
In an impact of sufficient severity, the airbag
sensing system detects that the vehicle is
in a crash. In the case of a roof-mounted rollover
airbag, the sensing system detects that the
vehicle is about to roll over or has been in a severe
frontal impact or a moderate to severe side
impact. The sensing system triggers a release of
gas from the inflator, which inflates the airbag.
The inflator, airbag, and related hardware are
all part of the airbag modules inside the steering
wheel and in the instrument panel in front of
the right front passenger. For vehicles with
roof-mounted rollover airbags, the airbag modules
are located in the ceiling of the vehicle, near
the side windows.

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.
Airbags supplement 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.
Roof-mounted rollover airbags would not help
you in many types of collisions, including many
frontal or near frontal collisions, and rear impacts.
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