1996 Pontiac Firebird Owner's Manual - Page 30

When should an air bag inflate? The air bag is designed to inflate in moderate to severe frontal or near-frontal crashes. 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 15 mph (14 to 24 km/h). The threshold level can vary, however, with specific vehicle design, so 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 to inflate in rollovers, side impacts or rearimpacts, because inflation would not help the occupant. In any particular crash, no one can say whether an air bag should have inflated simply because of the damage to a vehicle or because of what the repair costs were. Inflation is determined by the angle of the impact and the vehicle's deceleration. Vehicle damage is only one indication of this. What makes an air bag inflate? In a frontal or near-frontal impact of sufficient severity, the air bag sensing system detects that the vehicle is suddenly stopping as a result of a crash. The sensing system triggers a chemical reaction of the sodium azide sealed in the inflator. The reaction produces nitrogen gas, which inflates the air bag. The inflator, air bag and related hardware are all part of the air bag modules packed inside the steering wheel and in the instrument panel in front of the right front passenger. How does an air bag restrain? In moderate to severe frontal near-frontal collisions, or even belted occupants can contact the steering wheel the or instrument panel. Theair bag supplements the protection provided by safety belts. Air bags distribute the force of the impact more evenly over the occupant's upper body, stopping the occupant more gradually.But air bags would of not help you in many types collisions, including rollovers, rear impacts and side impacts, primarily because an occupant's motionis not toward theair bag. Air bags should never be regardedas anythmg more than a supplement to safety belts, and then only in moderate to severe frontal or near-frontal collisions. 1-23