How Does An Air Bag Restrain; What Will You See After An Air Bag Inflates - Oldsmobile 2004 Silhouette Owner's Manual

How Does an Air Bag 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 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 the frontal air bags 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 air bag. Side impact air bags
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 air bags. 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-frontal collisions for the driver's and
right front passenger's frontal air bags, and only
in moderate to severe side collisions for the driver's
and right front passenger's side impact air bag.
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What Will You See After an Air Bag
Inflates?
After the air bag inflates, it quickly deflates, so quickly
that some people may not even realize the air bag
inflated. Some components of the air bag module will be
hot for a short time. These components include the
steering wheel hub for the driver's frontal air bag and
the instrument panel for the right front passenger's
frontal air bag. For vehicles with side impact air bags,
the side of the seatback closest to the driver's and/or
right front passenger's door will be hot. 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 air bags.
Air bag inflation does not prevent the driver from
seeing or being able to steer the vehicle, nor does it
stop people from leaving the vehicle.
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CAUTION:
When an air bag inflates, there is dust in the
air. This dust could cause breathing problems
for people with a history of asthma or other
breathing trouble. To avoid this, everyone in
CAUTION: (Continued)