1996 Pontiac Bonneville Owner's Manual - Page 26

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 of what therepair costs were. Inflation is determined the angleof the impact and by Don't put anything on, attach anything to, the or the vehicle's deceleration. Vehicle damage is only one steering wheel or instrument panel. Also, don't indication of this. put anything (suchas pets or objects) between What makesan air bag inflate? any occupant and the steering wheel or In a frontal or near-frontal impact sufficient severity, of instrument panel. If something between an is the a r bag sensing system'detects that the vehicle i is occupant and an air bag, it could affect the suddenly stopping as result of a crash. The sensing a performance of the air bag or worse, it could system triggers a chemical reaction the sodium azide of cause injury. sealed in the inflator. The reaction produces nitrogen gas, which inflates theair bag. The inflator, bag and air When should an air bag inflate? related hardware are part of the air bag modules all packed inside the steering wheel and in the instrument The air bag is designed to inflate in moderate to severe panel in front of the right front passenger. will frontal or near-frontal crashes, The air bag inflate only if the impact speed is above the system's designed "threshold level." your vehicle goes straight into a If wall that doesn't move or deform, the threshold level is about 9 to 15 mph (14 to 24 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 tha$l move or deform, such wl i as a parked car, the threshold level be higher. The will air bagis not designed to inflate rollovers, side in impacts or rear impacts, because inflation would not ~. -i.-,-?. , i - . ~. , 3, -' , sa-. ' :, :;. < ,. : ?>z?.;,c ' -.'i - a-7 . - , .>.*. "2- '. ' 5 b, , ." - ' ",;L r,' ,' -" ,.. ,, : , . , , .'/ L-i9