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How does an air bag restrain?
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In moderate to severe frontal or near-frontal collisions,
even belted occupants can contact the steering wheel or
the instrument panel. The air bag supplements 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 and rear and side impacts, primarily
because an occupant's motion is not toward the air bag.
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-fmptal collisions.
What will you see after an air bag inflates?.
After .the air bag inflates, it quickly- deflates. This occurs
so quickly that some people may not even realize the air
bag inflated. Some components of the air bag module in
the steering whekl 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,. but the part of the bag that comes
into contact with you will not be hot to the touch.' There
will be some smoke and dust coming fromvents in the
deflated>air bags. Air bag inflation will not. prevent the
driver from seeing or from being able to steer the
-
vehicle, nor will
it
stop people from leaving the vehicle.
,
.
In many crashes severe enough to inflate an a i r bag,
windshields are broken by vehicle deformation.
right--front passenger
air
bag.
I
Additional windshield breakage may also occur from the
,
.
.
.
The air bags are designed to inflate only once. AfteT
they inflate, you'll need some new parts for your air
bag system. If you don't get them, the air bag syskm
won't be there to help protect you in another crash.
A new system will include air bag modbles and
possibly other parts. The service manual for your
vehicle c,overs the need to replace other parts.
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