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In any particular crash, no one can say whether
an airbag should have inflated simply because
of the damage to a vehicle or because of what
the repair costs were. Inflation is determined
by what the vehicle hits, the angle of the impact,
and how quickly the vehicle slows down.
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 and in the instrument panel in
front of the right front passenger.
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. 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 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 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.
What Will You See After an
Airbag Inflates?
After an airbag inflates, it quickly deflates, so
quickly that some people may not even realize
the airbag inflated. Some components of the
airbag module — the steering wheel hub for the
driver’s airbag or the instrument panel for the
right front passenger’s airbag — 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. 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.
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