2001 Mercury Sable Owner Guide 3rd Printing - Page 97

Seating and safety restraints The air bag supplemental restraint system is designed to work in conjunction with the safety belts to help protect the driver and front outboard passenger from certain upper body injuries. The term "supplemental restraint" means the air bags are intended as a supplement to the safety belts. Air bags alone cannot protect as well as air bags plus safety belts in impacts for which the air bags are designed to deploy, and air bags do not offer any protection in crashes for which they do not deploy. HOW DO THE AIR BAG SUPPLEMENTAL RESTRAINTS WORK? The air bag supplemental restraint system consists of: • driver and passenger dual stage air bag modules (which include the inflators and air bags). • side air bags (if equipped). Refer to Side air bag system later in this chapter. • one or more impact and safing sensors. • the same indicator light, RCM (restraints control module) and diagnostic unit used for the Personal safety system. The air bag supplemental restraints are an intergral part of the Personal Safety System. They are designed to be deployed in cases where the Personal Safety System has determined the occupant conditions and crash severity are appropriate to activate these devices. Refer to the Personal Safety System section in this chapter. Important supplemental restraint system precautions Air bags DO NOT inflate slowly or gently and the risk of injury from a deploying air bag is greatest close to the trim covering the air bag module. 97