When Should An Airbag; Inflate? (Sedan) - Cadillac 2013 XTS Owner's Manual

3-30 Seats and Restraints

When Should an Airbag

Inflate? (Sedan)

Frontal airbags are designed to
inflate in moderate to severe frontal
or near frontal crashes to help
reduce the potential for severe
injuries, mainly to the driver's or
front outboard passenger's head
and chest. However, they are only
designed to inflate if the impact
exceeds a predetermined
deployment threshold. Deployment
thresholds are used to predict how
severe a crash is likely to be in time
for the airbags to inflate and help
restrain the occupants.
Whether the frontal airbags will or
should inflate is not based primarily
on how fast the vehicle is traveling.
It depends on what is hit, the
direction of the impact, and how
quickly the vehicle slows down.
Frontal airbags may inflate at
different crash speeds depending on
whether the vehicle hits an object
straight on or at an angle, and
whether the object is fixed or
moving, rigid or deformable, narrow
or wide.
Thresholds can also vary with
specific vehicle design.
Frontal airbags are not intended to
inflate during vehicle rollovers, in
rear impacts, or in many side
impacts.
In addition, the vehicle has
dual-stage frontal airbags.
Dual-stage airbags adjust the
restraint according to crash severity.
Frontal knee airbags are designed
to inflate in moderate to severe
frontal or near frontal impacts that
exceed a predetermined
deployment threshold.
The vehicle has electronic frontal
sensors, which help the sensing
system distinguish between a
moderate frontal impact and a more
severe frontal impact. For moderate
frontal impacts, dual-stage airbags
I n f o r m a t i o n P r o v i d e d b y :
inflate at a level less than full
deployment. For more severe frontal
impacts, full deployment occurs.
The vehicle has seat-mounted side
impact airbags and roof-rail airbags.
See Airbag System (Sedan) on
page 3 22 or Airbag System
(Professional Vehicle) on page 3 24.
Seat-mounted side impact and
roof-rail airbags are intended to
inflate in moderate to severe side
crashes depending on the location
of the impact. In addition, these
roof rail airbags are intended to
inflate during a rollover or in a
severe frontal impact. Seat-mounted
side impact and roof-rail airbags will
inflate if the crash severity is above
the system's designed threshold
level. The threshold level can vary
with specific vehicle design.
Roof rail airbags are not intended to
inflate in rear impacts.
A seat-mounted side impact airbag
is intended to inflate on the side of
the vehicle that is struck. Both roof
rail airbags will inflate when either
side of the vehicle is struck or if the