2014 Chevrolet Silverado 1500 Regular Cab Owner Manual - Page 85

Seats and Restraints 3-25 When Should an Airbag Inflate? This vehicle is equipped with airbags. See Airbag System on page 3-21. Airbags are designed to inflate if the impact exceeds the specific airbag system's deployment threshold. Deployment thresholds are used to predict how severe a crash is likely to be in time for the airbags to inflate and help restrain the occupants. The vehicle has electronic sensors which help the airbag system determine the severity of the impact. Deployment thresholds can vary with specific vehicle design. Frontal airbags are designed to inflate in moderate to severe frontal or near frontal crashes to help reduce the potential for severe injuries, mainly to the driver's or front outboard passenger's head and chest. Whether the frontal airbags will or should inflate is not based primarily on how fast the vehicle is traveling. It depends on what is hit, the direction of the impact, and how quickly the vehicle slows down. 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. Frontal airbags are not intended to inflate during vehicle rollovers, in rear impacts, or in many side impacts. In addition, if the GVWR (Gross Vehicle Weight Rating) is at or below 3 855 kg (8,500 lb) the vehicle has advanced technology frontal airbags. You can find the GVWR on the Certification/Tire label on the center pillar of the vehicle. See Vehicle Load Limits on page 9-15 for more information. Advanced technology frontal airbags adjust the restraint according to crash severity. Vehicles with advanced technology frontal airbags have a seat position sensor that enables the sensing system to monitor the position of the driver seat. The seat position sensor provides information that is used to adjust the deployment of the driver frontal airbag. If the GVWR is at or below 4 536 kg (10,000 lb) the vehicle has seat-mounted side impact airbags. Vehicles with a GVWR above 4 536 kg (10,000 lb) may or may not have seat-mounted side impact airbags. Seat-mounted side impact airbags, if equipped, are designed to inflate in moderate to severe side crashes depending on the location of the impact. Seat-mounted side impact airbags are not designed to inflate in frontal impacts, near frontal impacts, rollovers, or rear impacts. A seat-mounted side impact airbag is designed to inflate on the side of the vehicle that is struck. Vehicles with a GVWR at or below 3 855 kg (8,500 lb) have roof-rail airbags. These roof-rail airbags are designed to inflate in moderate to