2003 Chevrolet Malibu Owner's Manual - Page 64

When Should an Air Bag Inflate? An air bag is designed to inflate in moderate to severe frontal or near-frontal crashes. The airbag will inflate only if the impact speed is above the system's designed "threshold level". If your vehicle goes straight into a wall that doesn't move or deform, the threshold level is about 9 to 14 mph (14 to 23 km/h). The thresholdlevel can vary, however, with specific vehicle design,so that it can be somewhat above or below this range. What Makes an Air Bag Inflate? In an impact of sufficient severity, the air bag sensing system detects that the vehicle is in a crash. The sensing system triggers a release of gas from the inflator, which inflates the air bag. The inflator, air bag and related hardware are all part of the air bag modules inside the steering wheel and in the instrument panel in front of the right front passenger. 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. Air bags supplement 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 help you in many types of collisions, including rollovers, rear impacts and many side Implrts, p!-im2!-i!y !29C'"SP 2!? Ecups!?,'S m9tIon IC, 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. If your vehicle strikes something that will move or deform, such as a parked car, the threshold level will be higher. The air bag is not designed to inflate in rollovers, rear impacts, or in many side impacts because inflation would not help the occupant. In any particular crash, no one can say whether an air bag should have inflated simply because of the damage to a vehicle or because of what the repair costs were. i-.si-*:-.If IlldllUl I I> UClCI I I Ill ICU :- -I-* t I^.. uy L L - - + at-- : L LI IC dl IYlC 0 L I It: II I IpclLL 1 and how quickly the vehicle slows down in frontal and near-frontal impacts. 1-57