What Makes An Airbag Inflate; How Does An Airbag Restrain; What Will You See After An Airbag Inflates - Cadillac 2005 DeVille Owner's Manual

What Makes an Airbag Inflate?
In an impact of sufficient severity, the airbag sensing
system detects that the vehicle is in a crash. For both the
frontal and side impact airbags, 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,
instrument panel and the side of the front seatbacks and
behind the rear seatbacks closest to the door.

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. The airbag supplements 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.
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Side impact airbags would not help you in many types
of collisions, including frontal or near frontal collisions,
rollovers, and rear impacts, primarily because an
occupant's motion is not toward those airbags. Airbags
should never be regarded as anything more than a
supplement to safety belts, and then only in moderate to
severe frontal or near-frontal collisions for the driver's
and right front passenger's frontal airbags, and only
in moderate to severe side collisions for the side
impact airbags.
What Will You See After an Airbag
Inflates?
After the airbag inflates, it quickly deflates, so quickly
that some people may not even realize the airbag
inflated. Some components of the airbag module — the
steering wheel hub for the driver's airbag, the
instrument panel for the right front passenger's bag, the
side of the seatback closest to the door for the side
impact airbags — will be hot for a short time. The parts
of the bag that come into contact with you may be
warm, but not too hot to touch. There will be some
smoke and dust coming from the vents in the deflated
airbags. Airbag inflation does not prevent the driver from
seeing or being able to steer the vehicle, nor does it
stop people from leaving the vehicle.