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Safety features of your vehicle
483
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.
• The appropriate air bags inflate
instantly in the event of serious
frontal or side collision in order to
help protect the occupants from
serious physical injury.
• There is no single speed at which
the air bags will inflate.
Generally, air bags are designed to
inflate by the severity of a collision
and its direction.These two factors
determine whether the sensors
send out an electronic deployment/
inflation signal.
• 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.Though, 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 addition to inflating in serious
side collisions, side and/or curtain
air bags will inflate if the sensing
system detects a rollover.
• When a rollover is detected, side
and/or curtain airbags will remain
inflated longer to help provide pro-
tection from ejection, especially
when used in conjunction with the
seat belts.
• In order to help provide protection,
the air bags must inflate rapidly.
The speed of air bag inflation is a
consequence of the extremely
short time in which to inflate the air
bag between the occupant and the
vehicle structures before the occu-
pant impacts those structures.
This speed of inflation reduces the
risk of serious or life-threatening
injuries and is thus a necessary
part of air bag design.
However, air bag inflation can also
cause injuries which normally can
include facial abrasions, bruises
and broken 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 air
bag can cause fatal injuries, espe-
cially if the occupant is positioned
excessively close to the air bag.
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