2005 Chevrolet Impala Owner's Manual - Page 66

2005 Chevrolet Impala Manual

Page 66 highlights

When Should an Airbag Inflate? The driver's and right front passenger's frontal airbags are designed to inflate in moderate to severe frontal or near-frontal crashes. But they are designed to inflate only if the impact exceeds a predetermined deployment threshold. Deployment thresholds take into account a variety of desired deployment and non-deployment events and are used to predict how severe a crash is likely to be in time for the airbags to inflate and help restrain the occupants. Whether your frontal airbags will or should deploy is not based on how fast your vehicle is traveling. It depends largely on what you hit, the direction of the impact and how quickly your vehicle slows down. In addition, your vehicle has "dual-stage" frontal airbags, which adjust the restraint according to crash severity. Your vehicle is equipped with electronic frontal sensors which help the sensing system distinguish between a moderate frontal impact and a more severe frontal impact. For moderate frontal impacts, these airbags inflate at a level less than full deployment. For more severe frontal impacts, full deployment occurs. If the front of your vehicle goes straight into a wall that does not move or deform, the threshold level for the reduced deployment is about 12 to 16 mph (19 to 26 km/h), and the threshold level for a full deployment is about 18 to 22 mph (29 to 35.4 km/h). The threshold level can vary, however, with specific vehicle design, so that it can be somewhat above or below this range. Frontal airbags may inflate at different crash speeds. For example: • If the vehicle hits a stationary object, the airbags could inflate at a different crash speed than if the vehicle hits a moving object. • If the vehicle hits an object that deforms, the airbags could inflate at a different crash speed than if the vehicle hits an object that does not deform. • If the vehicle hits a narrow object (like a pole) the airbags could inflate at a different crash speed than if the vehicle hits a wide object (like a wall). • If the vehicle goes into an object at an angle the airbags could inflate at a different crash speed than if the vehicle goes straight into the object. Frontal airbags (driver and right front passenger) are not intended to inflate during vehicle rollovers, rear impacts, or in many side impacts. 1-60

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When Should an Airbag Inflate?
The driver’s and right front passenger’s frontal airbags
are designed to inflate in moderate to severe frontal or
near-frontal crashes. But they are designed to inflate
only if the impact exceeds a predetermined deployment
threshold. Deployment thresholds take into account a
variety of desired deployment and non-deployment
events and are used to predict how severe a crash is
likely to be in time for the airbags to inflate and help
restrain the occupants. Whether your frontal airbags will
or should deploy is not based on how fast your vehicle
is traveling. It depends largely on what you hit, the
direction of the impact and how quickly your vehicle
slows down.
In addition, your vehicle has “dual-stage” frontal airbags,
which adjust the restraint according to crash severity.
Your vehicle is equipped with electronic frontal sensors
which help the sensing system distinguish between a
moderate frontal impact and a more severe frontal
impact. For moderate frontal impacts, these airbags
inflate at a level less than full deployment. For more
severe frontal impacts, full deployment occurs. If
the front of your vehicle goes straight into a wall that
does not move or deform, the threshold level for
the reduced deployment is about 12 to 16 mph
(19 to 26 km/h), and the threshold level for a
full deployment is about 18 to 22 mph (29 to 35.4 km/h).
The threshold level can vary, however, with specific
vehicle design, so that it can be somewhat above
or below this range.
Frontal airbags may inflate at different crash speeds.
For example:
If the vehicle hits a stationary object, the airbags
could inflate at a different crash speed than if the
vehicle hits a moving object.
If the vehicle hits an object that deforms, the
airbags could inflate at a different crash speed than
if the vehicle hits an object that does not deform.
If the vehicle hits a narrow object (like a pole) the
airbags could inflate at a different crash speed
than if the vehicle hits a wide object (like a wall).
If the vehicle goes into an object at an angle the
airbags could inflate at a different crash speed
than if the vehicle goes straight into the object.
Frontal airbags (driver and right front passenger) are not
intended to inflate during vehicle rollovers, rear impacts,
or in many side impacts.
1-60