Seats & Safety System3-52
Air bag inflation conditions
OCN7030050
Front air bags
Front air bags are designed to inflate
in a fr
ontal collision depending on the
severity of impact of the front collision.
OCN7030049
OCN7030042
Side and curtain air bags
Side and curtain air bags are designed
t
o inflate when an impact is detected by
side collision sensors depending on the
severity of impact resulting from a side
impact collision.
Although the driver’s and front
passenger’s air bags are designed to
inflate only in frontal collisions, they also
may inflate in other types of collisions
if the front impact sensors detect a
sufficient impact. Side and curtain air
bags are designed to inflate only in side
impact collisions or rollover situations,
but they may inflate in other collisions
if the side impact sensors detect a
sufficient impact.
If the vehicle chassis is impacted by
bumps or objects on unimproved roads,
the air bags may deploy. Drive carefully
on unimproved roads or on surfaces not
designed for vehicle traffic to prevent
unintended air bag deployment.
Air bag non-inflation conditions
OCN7030051
In certain low-speed collisions the air
bags may not deploy. The air bags are
designed not to deploy in such cases
because they may not provide benefits
beyond the protection of the seat belts.
03
3-53
OCN7030052
Front air bags are not designed to inflate
in rear collisions, because occupants
are moved backward by the force of the
impact. In this case, inflated air bags
would not provide any additional benefit.
OCN7030049
Front air bags may not inflate in side
impact collisions, because occupants
move in the direction of the collision,
and thus in side impacts, front air bag
deployment would not provide additional
occupant protection.
However, side and curtain air bags may
inflate depending on the severity of
impact.
OCN7030053
In an angled collision, the force of impact
may direct the occupants in a direction
where the air bags would not be able to
provide any additional benefit, and thus
the sensors may not deploy any air bags.
OCN7030054
Just before impact, drivers often brake
heavily. Such heavy braking lowers the
front portion of the vehicle causing it
to “ride” under a vehicle with a higher
ground clearance. Air bags may not
inflate in this “underride” situation
because deceleration forces that are
detected by sensors may be significantly
reduced by such “underride” collisions.