1996 Oldsmobile Aurora Owner's Manual - Page 30

How does an air bag restrain? In moderate to severe frontalor near-frontal collisions, even belted occupants can contact the steering wheel or the instrument panel.The air bag supplements the protection providedby safety belts. Air bags distribute the force of the impact more evenly over the occupant's upper body, stopping the occupant more gradually. But air bags would not help you in many types of collisions, including rollovers, rear impacts and side impacts, primarily because an occupant's motion is not toward the air bag. Air bags should never be regarded as anything more than a supplement to safety belts, and then only in moderate to severe frontal or near-frontal collisions. When an air bag inflates, there dust in the air. is This dust could cause breathing problems for people witha history of asthma other or breathing trouble. To avoid this, everyone in the so. vehicle should get out soon as it is safe to do as If you have breathing problems but can't get out of the vehicle after an air bag inflates, then get fresh airby opening a window or door. In many crashes severe enoughto inflate an air bag, windshields are broken by vehicle deformation. Additional windshield breakage may also occur from the right front passengerair bag. The air bags are designed to inflate only once. After they inflate, you'll need some new parts for your air bag system. If you don't get them, the air bag system won't be there to help protect you in another crash. A new system willinclude air bag modules and possibly other parts.The service manual for your vehicle covers the needto replace other parts. What will you see after an air inflates? bag After the air bag inflates, it quickly deflates. This occurs so quickly that some people may noteven realize the air bag inflated. Some components of the air bag module in the steering wheelhub for the driver's air bag, or the instrument panel for the right front passenger's bag, will be hot for a short time.The part of thebag that comes into contact with you may be warm, butit will never be too hot to touch. There willbe some smoke and dust coming from vents in thedeflated air bags. Air bag inflation will not prevent the driver from seeing or from being able to steer the vehicle, nor willit stop people from leaving the vehicle.