2006 Buick Rainier Owner's Manual - Page 60

Your vehicle may or may not have a roof-mounted airbag and a rollover sensor. See Airbag System on page 1-48. These "rollover capable" airbags are intended to inflate in moderate to severe side crashes or during a rollover. A roof-mounted airbag will inflate if the crash severity is above the system's designed "threshold level." The threshold level can vary with specific vehicle design. Roof-mounted airbags are not intended to inflate in frontal or near-frontal impacts, or rear impacts. Both roof-mounted airbags will deploy when either side of the vehicle is struck or during a rollover. In any particular crash, no one can say whether an airbag should have inflated simply because of the damage to a vehicle or because of what the repair costs were. For frontal airbags, inflation is determined by what the vehicle hits, the angle of the impact, and how quickly the vehicle slows down. For roof-mounted airbags, inflation is determined by the location and severity of the impact. The airbag system is designed to work properly under a wide range of conditions, including off-road usage. Observe safe driving speeds, especially on rough terrain. As always, wear your safety belt. See Off-Road Driving on page 4-18 for tips on off-road driving. What Makes an Airbag Inflate? In an impact of sufficient severity, the airbag sensing system detects that the vehicle is in a crash. In the case of a "rollover capable" roof-mounted side impact airbag, the sensing system detects that the vehicle is about to roll over. The sensing system triggers a release of gas from the inflator, which inflates the airbag. The inflator, airbag, and related hardware are all part of the airbag modules inside the steering wheel and in the instrument panel in front of the right front passenger. For vehicles with roof-mounted side impact airbags, the airbag modules are located in the ceiling of the vehicle, near the side windows. 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. 1-54