1993 Cadillac DeVille Owner's Manual - Page 43

How The Air Bag System Works Where is the air bag? The driver's air bag is in the middle of the steeringwheel. When is an air bag expected to inflate? The air bag is designedto inflate in moderate to severe frontalor near-frontal crashes.The air bagwill only inflate if the velocity of the impact is above the designed threshold level. When impacting straight into a wall that does not moveor deform, the threshold level for most GM vehicles is between 9 and 14 mph (14 and 23 km/h). However, this velocity threshold depends on the vehicle design and may be several miles-per-hour fasteror will slower. In addition, this threshold velocity be considerably higherif the vehicle strikes an object such a parked car which will move and deform as on impact. The air bag is also not designedto inflate in rollovers, side impacts, or rear impacts wherethe inflation would provide no occupant protection benefit. In any particular crash, the determination of whether the air bag should have inflated cannot be based solelyon thelevel of damage on the 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.