What Makes An Airbag Inflate; How Does An Airbag Restrain - Cadillac 2006 CTS Owner's Manual

What Makes an Airbag Inflate?
In an impact of sufficient severity, the airbag sensing
system detects that the vehicle is in a crash. The
sensing system triggers a release of gas from the
inflator, which inflates the airbag. The inflator, airbag,
and related hardware are all part of the airbag modules
inside the steering wheel, instrument panel, the side
of the front seatbacks closest to the door, and the
ceiling of the vehicle, near the side windows.

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. The airbag supplements the protection
provided by safety belts. Airbags distribute the force of
the impact more evenly over the occupant's upper
body, stopping the occupant more gradually. But the
frontal airbags would not help you in many types
of collisions, including rollovers, rear impacts, and many
side impacts, primarily because an occupant's motion
is not toward the airbag. Side impact airbags would not
help you in many types of collisions, including many
frontal or near frontal collisions, rollovers, and rear
impacts, primarily because an occupant's motion is
not toward those airbags.
Airbags should never be regarded as anything more
than a supplement to safety belts, and then only
in moderate to severe frontal or near-frontal collisions
for the driver's and right front passenger's frontal
airbags, and only in moderate to severe side collisions
for side impact airbags.
What Will You See After an
Airbag Inflates?
After the frontal and seat-mounted side impact airbags
inflate, they quickly deflate, so quickly that some
people may not even realize the airbags inflated.
Roof-mounted side impact airbags may still be partially
inflated minutes after the vehicle comes to rest.
Some components of the airbag module — the steering
wheel hub for the driver's airbag, the instrument
panel for the right front passenger's airbag, the side
of the seatback closest to the door for seat-mounted
side impact airbags, and the area along the ceiling
of your vehicle near the side windows for roof-mounted
side impact airbags — may be hot for a short time.
The parts of the airbag that come into contact with
you may be warm, but not too hot to touch.
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