2001 HONDA PASSPORT Owners Manual

Airbag
s ar e onl y on e par t o f a car' s tota l

occupant protectio n
system ,
an d the y hav e

on e simpl e bu t ver y importan t role—t o
supplemen t sea t belt s an d hel p protec t front -
seat occupants during a severe frontal

collision .

A fronta l collisio n ca n b e eithe r head-o n
o r a t a n angle , wit h anothe r vehicl e o r a soli d

object .

Airbags are designed to deploy in a severe head-

on or angled frontal collision with another

vehicle, stopped or moving.

Airbags
are also designed to deploy in a severe frontal collision with an object
of equal or greater mass.

Airbag
s ca n povid e life-savin g protection ,
bu t onl y i n a sever e fronta l collision .
Airbag s canno t b e helpful , an d the y ar e
no t intende d t o deploy , i n an y othe r typ e o f
collision , includin g sid e o r rea r impacts ,
rollovers , an d mino r o r moderat e fronta l

collisions .

I f th e airbag s deploye d i n an y o f thes e
situations , the y woul d onl y caus e additiona l
replacemen t expense , an d the y migh t eve n
caus e additiona l injuries .
Seat belts, and the car's ability to absorb
crash energy, offer adequate protection in
minor and moderate frontal collisions.

Airbags
cannot be very helpful, and are not
designed to deploy, if your car is hit in the rear.
Because of their frontal location, airbags
offer little if any protection in side impacts.
Airbags usually cannot be helpful and
rarely deploy in rollovers.

By now you know that airbags are designed to

deploy i n a sever e fronta l collisio n wit h
another vehicle or a solid object. But did you
know you r airbag s ca n
als
o deplo y i f yo u hi t a pothol
e o r a raise d object , the y migh t o r
migh t no t deplo y i f yo u cras h int o a pol e o r
tree , an d the y rarel y deplo y i f yo u underrid e
anothe r vehicle ?

If a wheel drops into a deep pothole, or you
strike a hard, raised object such as a curb or
speed bump, a brief high rate of deceleration
may cause the airbags to deploy.
Colliding
head-on with a pole or tree is less

likely to cause airbag deployment than if you

strike the object off-center near harder, more

rigid structural pans.
When
a car underrides another vehicle at
relatively low speed, the impact usually involves
only crushable body pans, and the airbags

rarely deploy.

The
framework inside a passenger vehicle is

made of strong, rigid steel to provide a "safety

cage" around the occupants and a sturdy
platform for the drive train and other
components. Frontal collisions involving rigid
parts can produce high rates of deceleration and

airbag deployment.

T
o wea r a sea t bel t properly , yo u shoul d
si t up , wel l bac k i n you r seat , wit h th e la p
portio n o f th e bel t pulle d snugl y acros s you r
hip s an d th e shoulde r portio n restin g agains t
you r ches t an d shoulder .
Befor e drivin g away , it' s ver y importan t t o
mov e th e driver' s sea t a s fa r bac k a s yo u ca n
whil e stil l allowin g goo d contro l o f th e vehicle .
I f yo u hav e a fron t passenger , hav e the m mov e
thei r sea t a s fa r bac k a s possible . Why ?
Yo
u ca n ge t th e maximu m protectio n offere d
b y airbage s b y followin g a fe w simpl e rules .
First , alway s wea r a sea t belt . A sea t bel t i s
you r bes t protectio n i n an y accident .
A properl y wor n sea t bel t wil l als o hel p kee p
yo u i n a goo d positio n shoul d you r airbag s
eve r deploy .

T
o d o thei r job , airbag s inflat e wit h
tremendou s speed—ove r 10 0 mph . S o whil e
airbag s ca n sav e you r lif e an d reduc e th e
severit y o f injuries , the y ca n als o caus e
abrasion s an d bruises . An d i f yo u si t to o
close , or don' t wea r a sea t belt , or don' t si t in
a prope r position , a n inflatin g airba g ca n
caus e broke n bone s o r mor e seriou s injuries .

Wearing a seat belt, and sitting up, well back

from the steering wheel or dashboard, reduces

the chance of injuries caused by a crash or an

inflating airbag.