What Makes An Airbag Inflate; How Does An Airbag Restrain - Cadillac ESCALADE EXT 2005 Owner's Manual

Side impact airbags are designed to inflate in moderate to
severe side crashes. A side impact airbag will inflate if the
crash severity is above the system's designed "threshold
level." The threshold level can vary with specific vehicle
design. Side impact airbags are not designed to inflate in
frontal or near-frontal impacts, rollovers or rear impacts,
because inflation would not likely help the occupant.
A side impact airbag will only deploy on the side of the
vehicle that is struck.
Vehicle's with dual stage airbags are also equipped with
special sensors which enable the sensing system to
monitor the position of both the driver and passenger
front seats. The seat position sensor provides information
which is used to determine if the airbags should deploy
at a reduced level or at full deployment.
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 the
angle of the impact and how quickly the vehicle slows
down in frontal and near-frontal impacts. For side impact
airbags, inflation is determined by the location and
severity of the impact.
The airbag system is designed to work properly under a
wide range of conditions, including off-road usage.
Observe safe driving speeds, especially on rough terrain.
As always, wear your safety belt. See Operating Your
All-Wheel-Drive Vehicle Off Paved Roads on page 4-16
for tips on off-road driving.
1-52
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
frontal and side impact airbags, the sensing system
triggers a release of gas from the inflator, which inflates
the airbag. The inflator, the airbag and related hardware
are all part of the airbag modules. Frontal airbag modules
are located inside the steering wheel and instrument
panel. For side impact airbags, the airbag modules are
located in the seatback closest to the driver's and/or right
front passenger's 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. 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.