Airbag Non-Deployment Conditions

In some low-speed collisions, the airbags may not deploy. Airbags are not designed to deploy in such cases because they cannot provide benefits beyond the protection of the seat belts.

Front airbags are not designed to deploy in a rear collision because occupants move rearward under the force of the impact. In this case, the airbags would provide no additional benefit.

Front airbags may not deploy in side impact collisions because occupants move toward the point of impact; therefore, front airbag deployment would not provide additional occupant protection in a side impact.

However, side airbags and side curtain airbags may inflate depending on the severity of the impact.

In an angled impact, the force of the collision may move occupants in a direction where the airbags could not provide any additional benefit, and therefore the sensors may not activate the airbags.

Immediately before a collision, drivers often brake hard. This hard braking lowers the front of the vehicle, causing it to "underride" beneath a vehicle with a higher ground clearance. The airbags may not inflate in this situation to "support" the occupants because the braking forces detected by the sensors may be significantly reduced by such "underride" collisions.

Front airbags may not deploy in a rollover accident because airbag deployment cannot provide occupant protection.

However, side airbags and side curtain airbags may deploy when the vehicle rolls over or in a side collision.

Airbags may not deploy if the vehicle strikes objects such as utility poles or trees, where the point of impact is concentrated and the collision energy is absorbed by the vehicle structure.