1995 Chevrolet S10 Pickup Owner's Manual - Page 28

How does

an

air

bag

restrain?

In moderate

to

severe frontal or near-frontal collisions, even belted

occupants can contact the steering wheel. 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

help

you

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

belts,

and then only

in

moderate to severe frontal or near-frontal collisions.

What

will

you

see

after

an

air

bag

inflates?

After

the air bag inflates, it quickly deflates. This occurs

so

quickly that

some people may not even

realize

the air bag inflated. Some components

of

the air bag module in the steering wheel hub will

be

hot for a short time,

but

the

part

of

the bag that comes into contact with

you

will

not

be

hot

to the

touch. There will be

some

smoke and dust coming from vents

in

the

deflated

air bag. Air bag inflation

will

not

prevent

the

driver from seeing or from

being able

to

steer the vehicle,

nor

will it stop people from leaving the

vehicle.

A

CAUTION:

When an

air

bag

inflates,

there

is dust

in

the

air.

This

dust

could

cause

breathing

problems

for

people

with

a

history

of

asthma

or

other

breathing

trouble. To avoid

this,

everyone

in

the

vehicle

should

get

out

as soon as it is safe

to

do

so.

If

you

have

breathing

problems

but

can’t

get

out

of

the

vehicle

after

an

air

bag

inflates,

then

get

fresh

air

by

opening

a

window

or

door.

The air bag

is designed to inflate only once. After it inflates, you’ll

need some new parts for your air bag system. If

you don’t get them, the

air bag system won’t be there to help protect

you

in another crash. A

new system will include the air bag module and

possibly other parts.

The service manual for your vehicle covers the

need

to replace other

parts.

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1995 Chevrolet S10 Pickup Owner's Manual - Page 28

1995 Chevrolet S10 Pickup Manual

Page 28 highlights