What Makes an Airbag Inflate?In an impact of sufficient severity, the airbag sensingsystem detects that the vehicle is in a crash. Thesensing system triggers a release of gas from theinflator, which inflates the airbag. The inflator, airbag,and related hardware are all part of the airbag modulesinside the steering wheel, instrument panel, the sideof the front seatbacks closest to the door, and theceiling of the vehicle, near the side windows.How Does an Airbag Restrain?In moderate to severe frontal or near frontal collisions,even belted occupants can contact the steering wheelor the instrument panel. In moderate to severe sidecollisions, even belted occupants can contact the insideof the vehicle. The airbag supplements the protectionprovided by safety belts. Airbags distribute the force ofthe impact more evenly over the occupant’s upperbody, stopping the occupant more gradually. But thefrontal airbags would not help you in many typesof collisions, including rollovers, rear impacts, and manyside impacts, primarily because an occupant’s motionis not toward the airbag. Side impact airbags would nothelp you in many types of collisions, including manyfrontal or near frontal collisions, rollovers, and rearimpacts, primarily because an occupant’s motion isnot toward those airbags.Airbags should never be regarded as anything morethan a supplement to safety belts, and then onlyin moderate to severe frontal or near-frontal collisionsfor the driver’s and right front passenger’s frontalairbags, and only in moderate to severe side collisionsfor side impact airbags.What Will You See After anAirbag Inflates?After the frontal and seat-mounted side impact airbagsinflate, they quickly deflate, so quickly that somepeople may not even realize the airbags inflated.Roof-mounted side impact airbags may still be partiallyinflated minutes after the vehicle comes to rest.Some components of the airbag module — the steeringwheel hub for the driver’s airbag, the instrumentpanel for the right front passenger’s airbag, the sideof the seatback closest to the door for seat-mountedside impact airbags, and the area along the ceilingof your vehicle near the side windows for roof-mountedside impact airbags — may be hot for a short time.The parts of the airbag that come into contact withyou may be warm, but not too hot to touch.1-61
