How Does The Air Bag System Operate - Hyundai Equus 2015 Owner's Manual

Safety features of your vehicle
How does the air bag system
operate
• Air bags are activated (able to
inflate if necessary) only when the
Engine Start/Stop Button is turned
to the ON or START position.
• Air bags inflate in the event of a
severe frontal or side collision in
order to help protect the occupants
from serious physical injury.
• There is no single speed at which
the air bags will inflate.
Generally, air bags are designed to
inflate based upon the severity of a
collision and its direction. These two
factors determine whether the sen-
sors produce an electronic deploy-
ment/ inflation signal.
• Air bag deployment depends on a
number of factors including vehicle
speed, angles of impact and the
density and stiffness of the vehi-
cles or objects which your vehicle
hits in the collision. The determin-
ing factors are not limited to those
mentioned above.
3 46
• The front air bags will completely
inflate and deflate in an instant.
It is virtually impossible for you to
see the air bags inflate during an
accident.
It is much more likely that you will
simply see the deflated air bags
hanging out of their storage com-
partments after the collision.
• To help provide protection in a
severe collision, the air bags must
inflate rapidly. The speed of air bag
inflation is a consequence of the
extremely short time in which a col-
lision occurs and the need to inflate
the air bag between the occupant
and the vehicle structures before
the occupant impacts those struc-
tures. This speed of inflation
reduces the risk of serious or life-
threatening injuries in a severe col-
lision and is thus a necessary part
of air bag design.
However, air bag inflation can also
cause injuries which can include
facial abrasions, bruises and bro-
ken bones because the inflation
speed also causes the air bags to
expand with a great deal of force.
• There are even circumstances
under which contact with the air
bag can cause fatal injuries,
especially if the occupant is
positioned excessively close to
the air bag.
WARNING
• To avoid severe personal injury
or death caused by deploying
air bags in a collision, the driv-
er should sit as far back from
the steering wheel air bag as
possible (at least 10 inches
(250 mm) away). The front pas-
sengers should always move
their seats as far back as pos-
sible and sit back in their seat.
• Air bags inflate instantly in the
event of collision, and passen-
gers may be injured by the air
bag expansion force if they are
not in proper position.
• Air bag inflation may cause
injuries which normally include
facial or bodily abrasions,
injuries from broken glasses or
burns by the air bag inflation
gasses.