2005 Saab 9-3 Owner's Manual - Page 41

Safety Frequently asked questions on function of the airbag Do you still need to wear a safety belt if airbags are fitted? Yes, always! The airbag system components merely supplement the car's normal safety system. Moreover, the front airbags will only be actuated in a moderate to severe frontal, or near-frontal crash, which means, of course, that they provide no protection in minor frontal crashes, major rear- or sidecrashes or if the car rolls over. The safety belts help to reduce the sideway movement of the body in a crash. But they also ensure that, if a crash occurs in which the airbags are inflated, the airbag will make the optimum contact with the occupant, i.e. square on from the front. If the occupant meets the airbag in an offset position, the protection afforded will be reduced. In addition, airbags provide no protection against a secondary impact occurring in the same incident. So there is no doubt about the benefit of wearing safety belts at all times. Do not sit too close to the airbag: it needs room to inflate. The airbag inflates very quickly and powerfully in order to protect an adult, before they are thrown forward, in a serious frontal crash. How do I position the seat to leave room for the airbag to inflate? Don't have your seat too far forward. Recline the seat back to increase the distance between you and the airbag. For short drivers, special accessory pedal extensions are available through your Saab dealer. Airbags inflate extremely rapidly and with great force - to be fast enough to protect an adult in the seat. 39 When do the airbags in the steering wheel and passenger side of the dash board inflate? The airbag will only be inflated under certain predetermined conditions in a moderate to severe frontal, or near-frontal crash, depending on such factors as the force and angle of the impact, the speed of the car on impact, and the resistance to deformation of the impacting object. The airbag can only be activated once in the same incident. Do not attempt to drive the car after an airbag has been inflated, even if it is possible. What won't trigger the airbag? The airbag will not be activated in all frontal crashes. For instance, if the car has hit something relatively soft and yielding (e.g. a snow drift or a hedge) or a solid object at a low impact speed, the airbag will not necessarily be triggered.