1997 Chevrolet Suburban Owner's Manual - Page 42

How does an air bag restrain? In moderate to severefrontal or near-frontal collisions, even belted occupants cancontact the steering wheel or the instrument panel.Air bags supplement the protection i r bags distribute the force of provided by safety belts.A the impact more evenly over the occupant's upper body, stopping the occupant more gradually. But air bags would of collisions, including not help you in many types rollovers, rear impacts andside impacts, primarily because an occupant's motion is not toward those air bags. Air bags should never be regarded as anything more than a supplement to safety belts, and then only in moderate to severe frontal or near-frontal collisions. I When an air bag inflates, there is dust in the air. This dust could cause breathing problems for people with a history of asthma or other breathing trouble.To avoid this, everyone in the vehicle should get out as soon as is it safe to do so. If you have breathing problems but can't get out of the vehicle after an air bag inflates, then get fresh air by opening a windowor door. In many crashes severeenough to inflate an air bag, windshields are broken by vehicle deformation. Additional windshield breakage may also occur from the right front passenger air bag. Air bags are designed to inflate only once. After they inflate, you'll need some new parts for your air bag system. If you don't get them, the air bag system won't be there to help protect you in another crash. A new system will include air bag modules and possibly other parts. The service manual for your vehicle covers the need to replace other parts. What will you see afteran air bag inflates? After an air bag inflates, it quickly deflates, so quickly that some people may not even realize the air bag inflated. Some components of the air bag module -- the steering wheel hub for the driver's air bag, or the instrument panel for the right front passenger's bag -- will be hotfor a short time. The parts of the bag that come into contact with you may be warm, but not too hot to touch. There will be some smokeand dust coming from vents in thedeflated air bags. Air bag inflation doesn't prevent the driver from seeing or from being able to steer the vehicle, nor does it stop people from leaving the vehicle.