2009 Acura TL Owner's Manual - Page 30

Main Menu Table Of Contents Additional Information About Your Airbags During a frontal crash, your seat belt restrains your lower body and torso, and the front airbag helps protect your head and chest. Although both airbags normally inflate within a split second of each other, it is possible for only one airbag to deploy. This can happen if the severity of a collision is at the margin, or threshold, that determines whether or not the airbags will deploy. In such cases, the seat belt will provide sufficient protection, and the supplemental protection offered by the airbag would be minimal. Only the driver's airbag can deploy if there is no passenger in the front seat, or if the advanced airbag system has turned the passenger's airbag off (see page 34 ). CONTINUED The total time for inflation and deflation is one-tenth of a second, so fast that most occupants are not aware that the airbags deployed until they see them lying in their laps. After a crash, you may see what looks like smoke. This is actually powder from the airbag's surface. Although the powder is not harmful, people with respiratory problems may experience some temporary discomfort. If this occurs, get out of the vehicle as soon as it is safe to do so. Driver and Passenger Safety After inflating, the front airbags immediately deflate, so they won't interfere with the driver's visibility, or the ability to steer or operate other controls. 27 2009 TL