When Should An Airbag Inflate - GMC Savana 2011 Owner's Manual

3-28 Seats and Restraints
When Should an Airbag
Inflate?
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 or right
front passenger 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 deploy is not based on
how fast the vehicle is traveling.
It depends largely on what you hit,
the direction of the impact, and how
quickly the vehicle slows down.
Frontal airbags may inflate at
different crash speeds. For
example:
If the vehicle hits a stationary
object, the airbags could inflate
at a different crash speed than if
the vehicle hits a moving object.
If the vehicle hits an object that
deforms, the airbags could
inflate at a different crash speed
than if the vehicle hits an object
that does not deform.
If the vehicle hits a narrow object
(like a pole), the airbags could
inflate at a different crash speed
than if the vehicle hits a wide
object (like a wall).
If the vehicle goes into an object
at an angle, the airbags could
inflate at a different crash speed
than if the vehicle goes straight
into the object.
Thresholds can also vary with
specific vehicle design.
I n f o r ma t i o n P r o v i d e d b y :
Frontal airbags are not intended to
inflate during vehicle rollovers, rear
impacts, or in many side impacts.
Single Stage vs. Dual Stage
Airbags
Depending on the weight of the
vehicle, you will have either Single
Stage Airbags or Dual Stage
Airbags. Vehicles that have a
passenger sensing system also
have dual stage airbags. See
Passenger Airbag Status Indicator
on page 5 19 or Passenger Sensing
System on page 3 35.
If the GVWR (Gross Vehicle Weight
Rating) of the vehicle is 3 855 kg
(8,500 lb) or above, the vehicle may
have single stage airbags. If the
GVWR is below 3 855 kg (8,500 lb)
then the vehicle may have dual
stage airbags. You can find the
GVWR on the certification label on
the rear edge of the driver door. See
Vehicle Load Limits on page 9 12
for more information.