1996 Toyota Camry Owners Manual - Page 43

The center airbag sensor assembly consists of a safing sensor and center airbag sensor. In a severe frontal impact, sensors detect deceleration and the system triggers the airbag inflators. Then a chemical reaction in the inflators momentarily fills the airbags with non-toxic nitrogen gas to help restrain the forward motion of the occupants. When the airbags inflate, they produce a fairly loud noise and release some smoke along with the nitrogen gas. This is not harmful and does not indicate a fire. Be sure to wash off any residue as soon as possible to prevent minor skin irritation. Deployment of the airbags happen in a fraction of a second, so the airbags must inflate with considerable force. While the system is designed to reduce serious injuries, it may also cause minor burns or abrasions and swellings. Parts of the airbag module (steering wheel hub, dashboard) may be hot for several minutes, but the airbags themselves will not be hot. The airbags are designed to inflate only once. A crash severe enough to inflate the airbags may break the windshield as the vehicle buckles. In vehicles with a passenger airbag the windshield may also be damaged by absorbing some of the force of the inflating airbag. ! CAUTION S The SRS airbag system is designed only as a supplement to the primary protection of the seat belt systems of the driver and front passenger. The front seat occupants are particularly susceptible to injury if they do not wear their seat belts; when sudden braking or a collision occurs, they may be thrown forward. To obtain further protection in an accident, the driver and all passengers in the vehicle should always wear their seat belts when driving. For instructions and precautions concerning the seat belt system, see "Seat belts" in this chapter. S A baby or small child who is too small to use a seat belt should be properly secured in a rear seat using a child restraint system. 38