GMC Canyon Owner's Manual page 83

Frontal airbags (driver and right front passenger)
are not intended to inflate during vehicle
rollovers, rear impacts, or in many side impacts.
If your vehicle has side impact airbags, it has
electronic side sensors. The side impact airbags
are intended 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 intended to inflate in frontal or near-frontal
impacts, rollovers or rear impacts. Both side
impact airbags will deploy when either side of the
vehicle is struck.
Your vehicle has seat position sensors which
enable the sensing system to monitor the position
of the driver's seat and the right front passenger's
seat. Seat position sensors provide information
that 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 what the vehicle hits, the angle
of the impact, and how quickly the vehicle slows
down in frontal or 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 Off-Road Driving on page 256 for more tips
on off-road driving.
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