Airbag system
142
The side airbags are housed in the upholstery of the backrests of the front
seats and are marked ⇒ page 141, fig. 117 with the lettering “AIRBAG” on
the middle part.
The side airbag system in combination with the three-point seat belts,
offers additional protection for the upper area of the body (chest, stomach
and pelvis) in the event of severe side collisions ⇒ in “Important safety
information on the side airbag” on page 143.
Apart from their normal protective function, a further task of the seat belts
is to also hold the driver and front passenger in a correct seated position
in the event of a side collision so as to enable the side airbags to offer the
maximum protection.
You should therefore always fasten ⇒page 129, “Why seat belts?” the
seat belts, not only because this is required by law, but also for safety
reasons and for your own protection.Function of the side airbags
Risk of injury to the upper part of the body is reduced by
fully inflated side airbags.
In the case of a violent side crash the side airbag on the front seat on the
side on which the collision occurs is deployed ⇒ fig. 118.
It is also possible under certain special accident situations that the front
as well as the side airbags are deployed.
If an airbag is deployed, the airbag is filled with propellant gas. The
airbags inflate in fractions of a second and at a high speed in order to be
able to offer that additional protection in the event of an accident.
A grey white, non harmful gas is released when airbag is inflated. This is
perfectly normal and is not an indication of a fire in the vehicle.
The load of the occupants is cushioned when plunging into the fully
inflated airbag and the risk of injury to the entire upper body (chest,
stomach and pelvis) is reduced on the side facing the door.
Fig. 118 Side airbags
deployed
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