1998 Pontiac Grand Am Owner's Manual - Page 32

When should an air bag inflate? An air bag is designed to inflate in a moderate to severe frontal or near-frontal crash. air bag will inflate The 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 deform, such or as a parked car, the threshold level will be higher. The air bagis not designed to inflate in rollovers, side impacts or rear impacts, because inflation would not help the occupant. What makes an air bag inflate? In an impact of sufficient severity, the bag sensing air system detects that the vehicle is in a crash. The sensing system triggers a release of gas from the inflator, which inflates the air bag. The inflator, air bag and related hardware are allpart of the air bag modulesinside 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 or near-frontal collisions, or even belted occupants can contact the steering wheel 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, In any particular crash, no one can say whether an air stopping the occupant more gradually. But air bags bag should have inflated simply because of the damage would not help you in many types of collisions, to a vehicle or because of what the repair costs were. including rollovers, rear impacts and side impacts, Inflation is determined by the angle of the impact and is primarily because an occupant's motion not toward how quickly the vehicle slows down in frontal or those air bags. Air bags should never be regarded as near-frontal impacts. anything more than a supplement to safety belts, and then only in moderateto severe frontal or near-frontal collisions. 1-25