1994 Buick Park Avenue Owner's Manual - Page 40

In any particular crash, the determination of whether the air bag should have inflated cannot be based solely on the level of damage onthe vehicle(s). Inflation is determined by the angle of the impact and the vehicle's deceleration, of which vehicle damage is only one indication. Repair cost is not a good indicator of whether an air bag should have deployed. how does an air bag restrain? In moderate to severe frontal or near-frontal collisions, even belted occupants can contact the steering wheel or the instrument panel. The air bag supplements the protection provided by safety belts. Air bags distribute the force of the impact more evenly over the occupant's upper body, stopping the occupant more gradually. But air bags would not provide protection in many types of collisions, including rollovers and rear and side impacts, primarily because an occupant's motion is not toward the air bag. Air bags should never be regarded as anything more than a supplement to safety belt protection in moderate to severe frontal and near-frontal collisions. What makes anair bag inflate? In a frontal or near-frontal impact of sufficient severity, the airbag sensing system detects that the vehicle is suddenly stopping as aresult of a crash. The sensing system triggers a chemical reaction of the sodium azide sealed in the inflator. The reaction produces nitrogen gas, which inflates a cloth bag. The inflator, cloth bag, and related hardware are all part of the air bag inflator modules packed inside the steering wheel and in the instrument panel in front of the passenger. 38