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What Makes an Airbag Inflate?
In a deployment event, the sensing system sends
an electrical signal triggering a release of gas from the
inflator. Gas from the inflator fills the airbag causing the
bag to break out of the cover and deploy. The inflator,
the airbag, and related hardware are all part of the airbag
module.
Frontal airbag modules are located inside the
steering wheel and instrument panel. For vehicles
with seat-mounted side impact airbags, there are airbag
modules in the side of the front seatbacks closest to the
door. For vehicles with roof-rail airbags, there are airbag
modules in the ceiling of the vehicle, near the side
windows that have occupant seating positions.
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. Seat-mounted side impact and
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.
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 1-69 for more information.
Airbags should never be regarded as anything more
than a supplement to safety belts.
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