2013 Acura RDX Owner's Manual - Page 42

uu Airbags u Front Airbags (SRS) 2013 RDX QRG ■ Operation Front airbags are designed to inflate during moderate-to-severe frontal collisions. When the vehicle decelerates suddenly, the sensors send information to the control unit which signals one or both front airbags to inflate. A frontal collision can be either head-on or angled between two vehicles, or when a vehicle crashes into a stationary object, such as a concrete wall. TOC Safe Driving ■ How the Front Airbags Work While your seat belt restrains your torso, the front airbag provides supplemental protection for your head and chest. The front airbags deflate immediately so that they won't interfere with the driver's visibility or the ability to steer or operate other controls. 1 How the Front Airbags Work After a front airbag inflates in 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. Although the driver's and front passenger's 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. The total time for inflation and deflation is so fast that most occupants are not aware that the airbags deployed until they see them lying in front of them. Index Continued 41