2003 Cadillac DeVille Owner's Manual - Page 62

If someth...d is between an occul;,.rt and an air bag, the bag might not inflate properly or it might force the object into that person causing severe injury or even death. The path of an inflating air bag must be kept clear. Don't put anything between an occupant and an air bag, and don't attach or put anything on the steering wheel hub or on or near any other air bag covering. Don't let seat covers block the inflation path of a side impact air bag. or deform, the threshold level for the reduced deployment 's about 10 to 16 mph (18 to 26 km/h), and the threshold level for a fuii deployment is about 18 to 24 mph (29 to 38.5 km/h). The threshold level can vary, however, with specific vehicle design, so that it can besomewhat above or below this range. If your vehicle strikes something that will move or deform, such as a parked car, the threshold level will be higher. The driver's and right front passenger's frontal air bags are not designed to inflate in rollovers, rear impacts, or in many side impacts because inflation would not help the occupant. The side impact air bags are designed to inflate in moderate to severe side crashes. A side impact air bag will inflate if the crash severity is above the system's designed "threshold level". The threshold level can vary with specific vehicle design. Side impact air bags are not designed to inflate in frontal or near-frontal impacts, rollovers or rear impacts, because inflation would not help the occupant. A side impact air bag will only deploy on the side of the vehicle that is struck. In any particular crash, no one can say whether an air bag should have inflated simply because of the damage to a vehicle or because of what the repair costs were. For frontal air bags, inflation is determined by the angle of the impact and how quickly the vehicle slows down in frontal and near-frontal impacts. For side impact air bags, inflation is determined by the location and severity of the impact. 1-55 When Should an Air Bag Inflate? The driver's and right front passenger's frontal air bags are designed to inflate in moderate to severe frontal or near-frontal crashes. But they are designed to inflate only if the impact speed is above the system's designed "threshold level". In addition, your vehicle has "dual stage" frontal air bags, which adjust the amount restraint according to crash of severity. For moderate frontal impacts, these air bags inflate ata level less than full deployment. Formere severe frontal impacts, full deployment occurs. front If the of your vehicle goes straight a wall that doesn't move into