What Makes An Airbag; Inflate - Chevrolet 2011 Impala Owner's Manual

The vehicle has seat-mounted
side impact and roof-rail airbags.
See Airbag System on page 3 26.
Seat-mounted side impact and
roof-rail airbags are intended to
inflate in moderate to severe side
crashes. Seat-mounted side impact
and roof-rail airbags will inflate if
the crash severity is above the
system's designed threshold level.
The threshold level can vary with
specific vehicle design.
Roof-rail airbags are not intended to
inflate in rollovers or rear impacts.
A seat-mounted side impact airbag
is intended to deploy on the side
of the vehicle that is struck. Both
roof-rail airbags will deploy when
either side of the vehicle is struck.
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 seat-mounted side impact and
roof-rail airbags, deployment is
determined by the location and
severity of the side impact.
Seats and Restraints

What Makes an Airbag

Inflate?

In a deployment event, the sensing
system sends an electrical signal
triggering a release of gas from the
inflator. Gas from the inflator fills the
airbag causing the bag to break out
of the cover and deploy. The inflator,
the airbag, and related hardware are
all part of the airbag module.
Frontal airbag modules are
located inside the steering wheel
and instrument panel. For vehicles
with seat mounted side impact
airbags, there are airbags modules
in the side of the front seatbacks
closest to the door. For vehicles
with roof-rail airbags, there are
airbag modules in the ceiling of the
vehicle, near the side windows that
have occupant seating positions.
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