1997 Cadillac DeVille Owner's Manual - Page 41

When should an air bag inflate? The driver's and right front passenger's frontal air bags are designed to inflate in moderate severe frontalor to near-frontal crashes. The frontal bags are designed to air inflate only if the impact speedabove the system's is designed "threshold level." your vehicle goes straight If into a wall that doesn't movedeform, the threshold or level is about9 to 15 mph (14 to 24 km/h). The threshold level can vary, however, with specific vehicle design, so that itcan be somewhat above below this or range. If your vehicle strikes something that will move or deform, such as parked car, the threshold level will a be higher. The driver's and right front passenger's frontal air bags are not designed inflate in rollovers, to side impacts, or rear impacts, because inflation would not help the occupant. rollovers or rear impacts, because inflation would not help the occupant.A side impact air bag will only deploy on the side of the vehicle that is struck. In any particular crash, no can say whether an air one bag should have inflated simply becausethe damage of to a vehicle because of what the repair costs were. or Inflation is determined by the angle the impact and of how quickly the vehicle slows down in frontal and near-frontal impacts. For side impact air bags, inflation is determined by the location the impact and how of quickly the side the vehicle deforms. of What makes an air bag inflate? In an impact of sufficient severity, the air bag sensing system detects that the vehicle in a crash.For both is frontal and side impact air bags, sensing system the The driver's and right front passenger's side impact air triggers a release gas from the inflator, which inflates of bags are designed to inflate in moderate to severe side the air bag. The inflator, airbag and related hardware crashes involving a front door. side impact air bag A are all part of the air bag modules inside the steering will inflateif the crash severity above the system's is wheel, instrument panel and front doors. designed "threshold level." threshold level can vary The with specific vehicle design. impact air bags are not Side designed to inflate in frontal or near-frontal impacts, 1-26