What Makes An Airbag; Inflate; How Does An Airbag; Restrain - GMC Acadia 2013 Owner's Manual

3-28 Seats and Restraints
The front center airbag, if equipped,
seat-mounted side impact airbags,
and roof-rail airbags are intended to
inflate in moderate to severe side
crashes depending on the location
of the impact. A seat-mounted side
impact airbag is intended to inflate
on the side of the vehicle that is
struck. The front center airbag,
if equipped, and both roof-rail
airbags are intended to inflate when
either side of the vehicle is struck.
In addition, the roof-rail airbags and
the front center airbag, if equipped,
are intended to inflate when the
sensing system predicts that the
vehicle is about to roll over on its
side. The roof-rail airbags are also
intended to inflate in a severe frontal
impact.
The front center airbag, if equipped,
is not intended to inflate in frontal
impacts, near frontal impacts,
or rear impacts. Seat-mounted side
impact airbags are not intended to
inflate in frontal impacts, near frontal
impacts, rollovers, rear impacts,
or on the non-struck side of a
vehicle in a side impact. Roof-rail
airbags are not intended to inflate in
rear impacts.
In any particular crash, no one can
say whether an airbag should have
inflated simply because of the
vehicle damage or the repair costs.

What Makes an Airbag

Inflate?

In a deployment event, the sensing
system sends an electrical signal
triggering a release of gas from the
inflator. Gas from the inflator fills the
airbag causing the bag to break out
of the cover. The inflator, the airbag,
and related hardware are all part of
the airbag module.
For airbag locations, see Where Are
the Airbags? on page 3 25.

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.
Airbags supplement the protection
provided by safety belts by
distributing the force of the impact
more evenly over the
occupant's body.
Rollover capable roof-rail airbags
are also designed to help contain
the head and chest of occupants in
the outboard seating positions in the
first, second, and third rows. The
rollover capable roof-rail airbags are
designed to help reduce the risk of
full or partial ejection in rollover
events, although no system can
prevent all such ejections.
But airbags would not help in many
types of collisions, primarily
because the occupant's motion is
not toward those airbags. See When
Should an Airbag Inflate? on
page 3 27 for more information.