2013 Chevrolet Volt Owner Manual - Page 73

Seats and Restraints frontal or near frontal impacts that exceed a predetermined deployment threshold. The vehicle has seat-mounted side impact airbags and roof-rail airbags. See Airbag System on page 3‑16. Seat-mounted side impact and roof-rail airbags are intended to inflate in moderate to severe side crashes. In addition, these roof-rail airbags are intended to inflate during a rollover or in a severe frontal impact. Seat-mounted side impact and roof-rail airbags will inflate if the crash severity is above the system's designed threshold level. The threshold level can vary with specific vehicle design. Roof-rail airbags are not intended to inflate in rear impacts. A seat-mounted side impact airbag is intended to inflate on the side of the vehicle that is struck. Both roof-rail airbags will inflate when either side of the vehicle is struck or the sensing system predicts that the vehicle is about to roll over on its side, or in a severe frontal impact. In any particular crash, no one can say whether an airbag should have inflated simply because of the vehicle damage or repair costs. 3-21 even belted occupants can contact the inside of the vehicle. Airbags supplement the protection provided by safety belts by distributing the force of the impact more evenly over the occupant's body. Rollover capable roof-rail airbags are designed to help contain the head and chest of occupants in the outboard seating positions in the first and second rows. The rollover capable roof-rail airbags are designed to help reduce the risk of full or partial ejection in rollover events, although no system can prevent all such ejections. But airbags would not help in many types of collisions, primarily because the occupant's motion is not toward those airbags. See When Should an Airbag Inflate? on page 3‑20. Airbags should never be regarded as anything more than a supplement to safety belts. What Makes an Airbag Inflate? In a deployment event, the sensing system sends an electrical signal triggering a release of gas from the inflator. Gas from the inflator fills the airbag causing the bag to break out of the cover. The inflator, the airbag, and related hardware are all part of the airbag module. For airbag location, see Where Are the Airbags? on page 3‑18. How Does an Airbag 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,