How Does An Airbag Restrain; What Will You See After - GMC Savana 2011 Owner's Manual

3-30 Seats and Restraints
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. Frontal
airbags distribute the force of the
impact more evenly over the
occupant's upper body, stopping the
occupant more gradually. Roof-rail
airbags distribute the force of the
impact more evenly over the
occupant's upper body.
Rollover capable roof-rail airbags
are designed to help contain the
head and chest of occupants in
the outboard seating positions in
the first, second, and third rows,
if equipped. 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 28 for more information.
Airbags should never be regarded
as anything more than a supplement
to safety belts.

What Will You See After

an Airbag Inflates?
After the frontal airbags inflate,
they quickly deflate, so quickly that
some people may not even realize
an airbag inflated. Roof-rail airbags
may still be at least partially inflated
for some time after they deploy.
Some components of the airbag
module may be hot for several
minutes. For location of the airbag
modules, see What Makes an
Airbag Inflate? on page 3 29.
I n f o r ma t i o n P r o v i d e d b y :
The parts of the airbag that come
into contact with you may be warm,
but not too hot to touch. There may
be some smoke and dust coming
from the vents in the deflated
airbags. Airbag inflation does not
prevent the driver from seeing out of
the windshield or being able to steer
the vehicle, nor does it prevent
people from leaving the vehicle.
WARNING
When an airbag inflates, there
may be dust in the air. This
dust could cause breathing
problems for people with a
history of asthma or other
breathing trouble. To avoid
this, everyone in the vehicle
should get out as soon as it
is safe to do so. If you have
breathing problems but cannot
get out of the vehicle after an
airbag inflates, then get fresh air
by opening a window or a door.
(Continued)