2007 Dodge Nitro Owner's Manual - Page 57

THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE 57 The driver front airbag gas is vented through the vent holes in the sides of the airbag. The passenger front airbag gas is vented through the vent holes in the sides of the airbag. In this way, the airbags do not interfere with your control of the vehicle. • The Occupant Classification Module (OCM) is located beneath the front passenger seat. The OCM classifies the occupant into categories based on the measurements made by the seat weight sensors. The OCM communicates with the Occupant Restraint Control (ORC) Module. The ORC uses the occupant category to determine whether the front passenger airbag should be turned off. It also determines the rate of airbag inflation during a collision. • Your vehicle has four Weight Sensors located between the seat and the floor pan. The weight sensors measure applied weight and transfers that information to the OCM. • The Side Impact SRS Side Curtain Airbags are designed to activate only in certain side collisions. When the ORC detects a collision requiring the side curtain airbag to inflate, it signals the inflators on the crash side of the vehicle. A quantity of nontoxic gas is generated to inflate the side curtain airbag. The inflating side curtain airbag pushes the outside edge of the headliner out of the way and covers the window. The airbag inflates in about 30 milliseconds (about one quarter of the time it takes to blink your eyes) with enough force to injure you if you are not belted and seated properly, or if items are positioned in the area where the side curtain airbag inflates. This especially applies to children. The side curtain airbag is only about 31⁄2 inches (9 cm) thick when it is inflated. • The Knee Impact Bolsters help protect the knees of the driver and the front passenger, and position everyone for the best interaction with the front airbag. 2