1998 Oldsmobile Cutlass Owner's Manual - Page 36

~~ , ~ ~~ . ~~~ . ~~ When should an air bag inflate? An air bag is designed to inflate a moderate to severe in frontal or near-frontal crash. The air bag will inflate only if the impact speed is above the system's designed "threshold level."If your vehicle goes straight into a wall that doesn't move or deform, the threshold level is about 9 to 14 mph (14 to 23 km/h). The threshold level so can vary, however, with specific vehicle design, that it can be somewhat above or below this range. If your vehicle strikes something that will move or deform, such as a parked car, the threshold level will be higher. The air bag is not designed inflate in rollovers, side to impacts or rear impacts, because inflation would not help the occupant. In any particular crash, no one can say whether an air bag should have inflated simply because the damage of to a vehicle or because what the repair costs were. of Inflation is determined by angle of the impact and the how quickly the vehicle slows down in frontal or near-frontal impacts. What makes an air bag inflate? In an impact sufficient severity, the air bag sensing of system detects that vehicle is in a crash. The sensing the system triggers a release gas from the inflator, which of inflates the air bag. The inflator, air bag and related hardware are all part the air bag modules inside the of steering wheel and in the instrument panelfront of the in right front passenger. How does anair bag restrain? In moderate to severe frontal or near-frontal collisions, even belted occupants can contact the steering wheel or the instrument panel.Air bags supplement the protection provided by safety belts.Air bags distribute the force of the impact more evenly over the occupant's upper body, ar i stopping the occupant more gradually. But bags would not help you in many types of collisions, including rollovers, rear impacts and side impacts, primarily because a i an occupant's motion is not toward thoser bags. Air bags should never be regarded anythng more than a as in supplement to safety belts, and then onlymoderate to severe frontal or near-frontal collisions. 1-24