78 Seats and Restraints
When Should an Airbag
Inflate?
This vehicle is equipped with
airbags. See Airbag System 0 75.
Airbags are designed to inflate if the
impact exceeds the specific airbag
system's deployment threshold.
Deployment th resholds are used to
predict how severe a crash is like ly
to be in time for the airbags to
inflate and help re strain the
occupants. The vehicle has
electronic sensors that help the
airbag system determine the
severity of the impact. Deployment
thresholds can vary with specific
vehicle design.
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 ches t.
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, th e
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.
Frontal airbags are not intended to
inflate during vehicle rollovers, rear
impacts, or many side impacts.
In addition, the vehicle has
advanced tech nology frontal
airbags. Advanced technology
frontal airbags adjust the restraint
according to cra sh severity.
Seat-mounted side impact airbags
are designed to inflate in moderate
to severe s ide crashes depending
on the loca tion of the impact.
Seat-mounted side impact airbags
are not designed to inflate in frontal
impacts, near frontal impacts,
rollovers, or rear impacts.
A seat-mounted side impact airbag
is designed to infl ate on the side of
the vehicle that is struck.
Roof-rail airbags are designed to
inflate in moderate to severe side
crashes depending on the location
of the impact. In addition, these
roof-rail airbags are designed to
inflate during a rollover or in a
severe f rontal impact. Roof-rail
airbags are not designed to inflate in
rear impacts. Bo th roof-rail airbags
will inflate when either side of the
vehicle is struck or if the sensing
system predicts that the vehicle is
about to roll over on its side, or in a
severe f rontal impact.
In any particular crash, no one can
say whether an airbag should have
inflated simply because of the
vehicle damage or repair costs.
What Makes an Airbag
Inflate?
In a deployment event, the sensing
system sends an electrical signal
triggering a release of gas from t he
inflator. Gas from the inflator fill s the
airbag causing the bag to break out
of the cover. The inflator, the airbag,
and rela ted hardware are all part of
the airbag module.