2005 Pontiac Montana SV6 Owner's Manual - Page 95

How Does an Airbag Restrain? In moderate to severe frontal or near frontal collisions, even belted occupants can contact the steering wheel or the instrument panel. In moderate to severe side collisions, even belted occupants can contact the inside of the vehicle. The airbag supplements the protection provided by safety belts. Airbags distribute the force of the impact more evenly over the occupant's upper body, stopping the occupant more gradually. But the frontal airbags would not help you in many types of collisions, including rollovers, rear impacts, and many side impacts, primarily because an occupant's motion is not toward the airbag. Side impact airbags would not help you in many types of collisions, including frontal or near frontal collisions, rollovers, and rear impacts, primarily because an occupant's motion is not toward those airbags. Airbags should never be regarded as anything more than a supplement to safety belts, and then only in moderate to severe frontal or near-frontal collisions for the driver's and right front passenger's frontal airbags, and only in moderate to severe side collisions for vehicles with a driver's and right front passenger's side impact airbag. What Will You See After an Airbag Inflates? After the airbag inflates, it quickly deflates, so quickly that some people may not even realize the airbag inflated. Some components of the airbag module will be hot for a short time. These components include the steering wheel hub for the driver's frontal airbag and the instrument panel for the right front passenger's frontal airbag. For vehicles with side impact airbags, the side of the seatback closest to the driver's and/or right front passenger's door will be hot. The parts of the bag that come into contact with you may be warm, but not too hot to touch. There will be some smoke and dust coming from the vents in the deflated airbags. 1-89