Side Airbag Operating Principle

Side airbags are designed to protect the head, neck, arms, and shoulders from striking the front door or door window in a side collision.

Side airbags deploy if the sensor detects a side collision with a deceleration sufficient to deploy the side airbags.

Side airbags are designed to deploy in side collisions with a deceleration equal to or greater than that produced by a collision with a deformable barrier moving at a speed of 15 to 25 km/h toward the vehicle.

If the side airbags did not deploy in your vehicle's collision, this does not necessarily indicate a malfunction. Side airbags are designed to deploy in side collisions and do not deploy in frontal collisions, rear impacts, or rollovers unless the impact forces on the side are sufficient to deploy the side airbags.

Children seated close to a side airbag are at risk of serious or fatal injury if the airbag deploys, especially if the child's head, neck, or chest is near the airbag at the time of deployment.

• Do not allow children to lean against the door or be positioned near the side airbag module.
• The safest place in the vehicle for a child who is properly positioned and properly restrained is the rear seat.