2004 Cadillac Escalade EXT Owner's Manual - Page 86

What Makes an Air Bag Inflate? In an impact of sufficient severity, the air bag sensing system detects that the vehicle is in a crash. For both frontal and side impact air bags, the sensing system triggers a release of gas from the inflator, which inflates the air bag. The inflator, the air bag and related hardware are all part of the air bag modules. Frontal air bag modules are located inside the steering wheel and instrument panel. For side impact air bags, the air bag modules are located in the seatback closest to the driver's and/or right front passenger's door. primarily because an occupant's motion is not toward those air bags. Air bags should never be regarded as anything more than a supplement to safety belts, and then only in moderate to severe frontal or near-frontal collisions for the driver's and right front passenger's frontal air bags, and only in moderate to severe side collisions for vehicles with a driver's and right front passenger's side impact air bag. What Will You See After an Air Bag Inflates? After the air bag inflates, it quickly deflates, so quickly that some people may not even realize the air bag inflated. Some components of the air bag module will be hot for a short time. These components include the steering wheel hub for the driver's frontal air bag and the instrument panel for the right front passenger's frontal air bag. For side impact air bags, the side of the seatback closest to the driver's and/or right front passenger's door will be hot. The parts of the bag that come into contact with you may be warm, but not too hot to touch. There will be some smoke and dust coming from the vents in the deflated air bags. Air bag inflation doesn't prevent the driver from seeing or being able to steer the vehicle, nor does it stop people from leaving the vehicle. How Does an Air Bag Restrain? In moderate to severe frontal or near frontal collisions, even belted occupants can contact the steering wheel or the instrument panel. In moderate to severe side collisions, even belted occupants can contact the inside of the vehicle. The air bag supplements the protection provided by safety belts. Air bags distribute the force of the impact more evenly over the occupant's upper body, stopping the occupant more gradually. But the frontal air bags would not help you in many types of collisions, including rollovers, rear impacts, and many side impacts, primarily because an occupant's motion is not toward the air bag. Side impact air bags would not help you in many types of collisions, including frontal or near frontal collisions, rollovers, and rear impacts, 1-80