2005 Chevrolet Malibu Owner's Manual - Page 65

Side impact airbags are designed to inflate in moderate to severe side crashes. A side impact airbag will inflate if the crash severity is above the system's designed "threshold level." The threshold level can vary with specific vehicle design. Side impact airbags are not designed to inflate in frontal or near-frontal impacts, rollovers or rear impacts, because inflation would not likely help the occupant. A side impact airbag will only deploy on the side of the vehicle that is struck. 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 the angle of the impact and how quickly the vehicle slows down in frontal or near-frontal impacts. For side impact airbags, inflation is determined by the location and severity of the impact. 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. Side impact airbags would not help you in many types of collisions, including frontal or near frontal collisions, rollovers, and rear impacts, primarily because an occupant's motion is not toward those airbags. Airbags 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 for the driver's and right front passenger's frontal airbags, and only in moderate to severe side collisions for side impact airbags. What Makes an Airbag Inflate? In an impact of sufficient severity, the airbag sensing system detects that the vehicle is in a crash. For both frontal and side impact airbags, 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, instrument panel, the side of the front seatbacks closest to the door and the ceiling of the vehicle, near the side windows. 1-59