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How does an air bagxestrain?
In moderate to severe frontal or near-frontal collisions,
even belted occupants can contact the steering wheel or
the instrument pmel. The air bag supplements the
protection provided by safety belts. Air bags distribute
the force pf the'impact more evenly over #e occupant's
upper body, stopping the occupant more gradually. But
air bags would not~help you in many type: 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 supplemenx.'to safety belts, and then
only
in
moderate to severe frontal or near-frontal collisions.
What will you see,after an air bag inflates?
After the
air
bag inflates, it quickly deflqtes. 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 wheel 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
from vents 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.
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