2007 Chevrolet Uplander Owner's Manual - Page 103

Your vehicle may or may not have side impact airbags. See Airbag System on page 96. Side impact airbags are intended 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 intended to inflate in frontal or near-frontal impacts, rollovers or rear impacts. A side impact airbag is intended to 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 what the vehicle hits, the angle of the impact, and how quickly the vehicle slows down. For side impact airbags, inflation is determined by the location and severity of the impact. What Makes an Airbag Inflate? In an impact of sufficient severity, the airbag sensing system detects that the vehicle is in a crash. The sensing system triggers a release of gas from the inflator, which inflates the airbag. The inflator, the airbag and related hardware are all part of the airbag modules. Frontal airbag modules are located inside the steering wheel and instrument panel. For seating positions with side impact airbags, there are also airbag modules in the side of the seatbacks closest to the door. 103