2013 Chevrolet Corvette Owner Manual - Page 78

3-18 Seats and Restraints In any particular crash, no one can say whether an airbag should have inflated simply because of the vehicle damage or repair costs. 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 3‑14. 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. 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. 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. Airbags supplement the protection provided by safety belts by distributing the force of the impact more evenly over the occupant's body. But airbags would not help in many types of collisions, primarily because the occupant's motion is not toward those airbags. See When Should an Airbag Inflate? on page 3‑17 for more information. Airbags should never be regarded as anything more than a supplement to safety belts. 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 3‑16.