How the Airbag System Works

• Airbags are armed (ready to deploy if necessary) only when the ignition switch is in the ON or START position.
• Airbags deploy instantly in the event of a severe frontal or side collision (if equipped with side airbags or curtain airbags) to protect occupants from serious injury.
• There is no single speed at which the airbags will deploy. In general, airbags are designed to deploy depending on the severity and direction of the collision. These two factors determine whether the sensors send an electronic deployment/inflation signal.
• Airbag deployment depends on a number of factors, including vehicle speed, angle of impact, and the density and stiffness of the vehicles or objects your vehicle collides with. The determining factors are not limited to those mentioned above.
• Front airbags inflate and deflate instantly. It is virtually impossible to see the airbags deploy during an accident. It is much more likely that you will simply see deflated airbags hanging from their storage compartments after a collision.
• To provide protection in a severe collision, the airbag must inflate quickly. The inflation speed of the airbag is required because the collision occurs in an extremely short time, and the airbag must be positioned between the occupant and the vehicle structures before the occupant strikes those structures. This inflation speed reduces the risk of serious or fatal injuries in a severe collision and is therefore a necessary part of the airbag design.
  However, airbag deployment can also cause injuries, including facial abrasions, bruises and bone fractures, because the airbag expands with great force during inflation.
• There are even circumstances in which contact with the steering wheel airbag can cause fatal injuries, especially if the occupant is positioned excessively close to the steering wheel.

WARNING

• To avoid serious injury or death from airbag deployment in a collision, the driver should sit as far from the steering wheel airbag as possible. The front passenger should always move the seat as far back as possible and sit upright in the seat.
• The airbag deploys instantly in a collision. Occupants may be injured by the force of airbag deployment if they are not in the correct position.
• Airbag deployment may cause injuries, including abrasions to the face or body, injuries from broken glasses, or burns.