2012 Chevrolet Corvette Owner's Manual - Page 85

Seats and Restraints Frontal airbags may inflate at different crash speeds depending on whether the vehicle hits an object straight on or at an angle, and whether the object is fixed or moving, rigid or deformable, narrow or wide. Thresholds can also vary with specific vehicle design. Frontal airbags are not intended to inflate during vehicle rollovers, rear impacts, or in many side impacts. In addition, the vehicle has dual-stage frontal airbags. Dual-stage airbags adjust the restraint according to crash severity. The vehicle has electronic frontal sensors, which help the sensing system distinguish between a moderate frontal impact and a more severe frontal impact. For moderate frontal impacts, dual-stage airbags inflate at a level less than full deployment. For more severe frontal impacts, full deployment occurs. Depending on the model, the vehicle may have one or two seat position sensors. The seat position sensor(s) enable the sensing system to monitor the position of the driver seat (all models except Z06 and ZR1) and the front outboard passenger seat (all models). Seat position sensor(s) provide information that is used in determining whether the airbags should inflate at a reduced or full level. The vehicle has seat-mounted side impact airbags. See Airbag System on page 3‑15. Seat-mounted side impact airbags are intended to inflate in moderate to severe side crashes, depending on the location of the impact. Seat-mounted side impact airbags will inflate if the crash severity is above the system's designed threshold level. The threshold level can vary with specific vehicle design. 3-19 Seat-mounted side impact airbags are not intended to inflate in frontal impacts, near-frontal impacts, rollovers, or rear impacts. A seat-mounted side impact airbag is intended to inflate 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 vehicle damage or repair costs. What Makes an Airbag Inflate? In a deployment event, the sensing system sends an electrical signal triggering a release of gas from the inflator. Gas from the inflator fills the airbag causing the bag to break out of the cover. The inflator, the airbag, and related hardware are all part of the airbag module. For airbag location, see Where Are the Airbags? on page 3‑17.