2014 NISSAN Consumer Safety & Air Bag Information Guide 3
EFFECTIVE USE OF SEAT BELTS AND AIR BAGS
Seat belts and supplemental air bags are most effective when vehicle occupants are sitting
upright and well back in the seat with both feet on the floor. Keep in mind that air bags
inflate with great force. Being unrestrained, leaning forward, sitting sideways, or being out
of position in any way puts you at a greater risk of injury or death in a crash. You may also
receive serious or fatal injuries from the air bag if you are up against it when it inflates.
Always sit back against the seatback with both feet on the floor and as far away as
practical from the steering wheel or instrument panel and always wear your seat belt.
Please see the SEAT BELT SAFETY section of this guide and the vehicle owner’s manual
for more information.
HOW AND WHEN FRONT AIR BAGS WORK
While the inner workings of a supplemental front air bag system are complicated,
understanding what makes the front air bags deploy is rather easy: the vehicle’s front air
bag sensor system is designed to detect rapid deceleration usually associated with
moderate to severe frontal collisions within a limited range of angles. The vehicle’s
deceleration rate is related to various factors, such as speed of the vehicles, the weight
and stiffness of the vehicles/objects involved, contact locations, and the angle of impact, to
name a few. Once the sensor system is activated, the front air bags inflate followed by a
release of smoke, almost instantly. The front air bags will not usually activate in side-impact
2014 NISSAN Consumer Safety & Air Bag Information Guide 4
collisions, rear-end collisions, rollovers, while driving on rough roads, or during hard
braking. However, deceleration rates in some situations can be similar to those found in
frontal impacts and may result in front air bag activation.
WHEN THE FRONT AIR BAGS INFLATE
Please remember, for the supplemental front air bags to be most effective, you must always
buckle up and be seated upright and well back in the seat away from the steering wheel or
instrument panel to allow room for the air bags to inflate. For the front air bags to do their
job, they must inflate with great force. As mentioned earlier in this guide, this may cause
serious or even fatal injury if, for example, you are unrestrained out of position in any way,
sitting or leaning too close to the steering wheel or instrument panel during inflation. Even
when seated properly, there is a possibility of injury from an inflating front air bag. This
usually consists of minor skin abrasions or burns, but may be more serious. Overall, these
injuries are minimal compared to the injuries the front air bags are designed to prevent.
After the front air bags have inflated, you may notice a light smoke within the cabin. This is
a normal by-product of the rapid chemical reaction necessary to inflate the front air bags
and, although harmless do not inhale it, it may cause irritation and choking.
REPLACING THE AIR BAGS
Air bags are not reusable. After a collision in which your air bags have activated,
have the respective air bag system inspected and replaced by your NISSAN dealer
as soon as possible. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA)
has expressed concern regarding reports of counterfeit replacement air bags
installed in vehicles. Visit www.nhtsa.gov
for more information. We recommend the
replacement of air bags by your NISSAN dealer to ensure that you receive new
original equipment replacement parts. Counterfeit replacement air bags may not
be made to the standards of quality, reliability and durability of Genuine NISSAN
parts. The use of counterfeit replacement air bags or used or salvaged air bags is
a potential serious safety problem and may not provide the same level of protection
in a crash.
OTHER SPECIFICS ABOUT AIR BAGS
ƒ If the air bag warning light continues to remain on or flashes after you start the vehicle,
see your NISSAN dealer as soon as possible.
ƒ After inflation, air bag components are hot, so avoid contact.
ƒ Do not place objects on or near the steering wheel or instrument panel where the air
bags inflate.
ƒ Child restraints for infants must be used in a rear-facing direction and therefore
must not be used in the front seat. Never install a rear-facing child restraint in the
front passenger seat of a vehicle equipped with a front passenger air bag.
ƒ See the vehicle owner’s manual for other important information.
WELL BACK AND UPRIGHT
