Kia Sorento Owner's Manual page 82

Safety features of your vehicle
How does the air bag system
operate
• Air bags are activated (able to
inflate if necessary) only when the
ignition switch is turned to the ON
or START position.
• Air bags inflate instantly in the
event of a serious frontal collision
or side collision (if equipped with a
side air bag or curtain air bag) in
order to help protect the occupants
from serious physical injury.
✽ ✽ NOTICE -
For Europe &
Australia
Also, the air bags inflate instantly in
the event of a rollover (if equipped
with a side air bag or curtain air bag)
in order to help protect the occu-
pants from serious physical injury.
• There is no single speed at which
the air bags will inflate.
Generally, air bags are designed to
inflate based upon the severity of a
collision and its direction. These
two factors determine whether the
sensors produce an electronic
deployment/ inflation signal.
3 52
• Air bag deployment depends on a
number of factors including vehicle
speed, angles of impact and the
density and stiffness of the vehi-
cles or objects which your vehicle
hits in the collision. The determin-
ing factors are not limited to those
mentioned above.
• The front air bags will completely
inflate and deflate in an instant.
It is virtually impossible for you to
see the air bags inflate during an
accident.
It is much more likely that you will
simply see the deflated air bags
hanging out of their storage com-
partments after the collision.
• In order to help provide protection
in a severe collision, the air bags
must inflate rapidly. The speed of
the air bag inflation is a conse-
quence of extremely short time in
which a collision occurs and the
need to inflate the air bag between
the occupant and the vehicle struc-
tures before the occupant impacts
those structures.
This speed of inflation reduces the
risk of serious or life-threatening
injuries in a severe collision and is
thus a necessary part of the air
bag design.
However, air bag inflation can also
cause injuries which can include
facial abrasions, bruises and bro-
ken bones because the inflation
speed also causes the air bags to
expand with a great deal of force.
• There are even circumstances
under which contact with the
steering wheel air bag can cause
fatal injuries, especially if the
occupant is positioned exces-
sively close to the steering
wheel.