1993 Chevrolet Camaro Owner's Manual - Page 33

How does an air bag restrain? [n moderate to severe frontal or near-frontal collisions, even belted occupants can contact the steering wheel or the instrument panel. 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 air bags would not provide protection in many types of collisions, including rollovers and rear and side impacts, primarily because an occupant's motion is not toward the air bag. Air bags should never be regarded as anything more than a supplement to safety belt protection in contact with you will not be hotto the touch. The nitrogen gas used to inflate What will you see after an air bag the air bag will have vented into the inflation? IIassenger compartment, and the bag will After the air bag has inflated, it will then 1Je deflated within seconds after the quickly deflate. This occurs so quickly :ollision. Nitrogen makes up about 80% that some people may not even realize 43f the air we breathe and is not hazardous. that the air bag inflated. The air bag will As the nitrogen vents from the bag, small not impede the driver's vision or ability 1particles are also vented into the to steer the vehicle, nor will it hinder the passenger compartment. occupants from exiting the vehicle. There In many crashes severe enough to inflate will be small amounts of smoke coming an air bag, windshields are broken by from vents in the deflated air bags. Some vehicle deformation. Additional components of the air bag module in the windshield breakage may occur in steering wheel hub for the driver's air bagr> vehicles with passenger air bags because or the instrument panel for the the windshield acts as a reaction surface passenger's bag may be hotfor a short for the inflating air bag. 29-9. _._ .~ ~ moderate to severe frontal and near-frontal collisions. t ime, but the portion of the bag that comes 1nto 1 .~~ ~