Chevrolet 2005 What Makes an Airbag Inate?, How Does an Airbag Restrain?, What Will You See After an Airbag Inates?

What Makes an Airbag Inflate?
In an impact of sufficient severity, the airbag sensing
system detects that the vehicle is in a crash. For
both frontal and side impact airbags, the sensing system
triggers a release of gas from the inflator, which
inflates the airbag. The inflator, the airbag and related
hardware are all part of the airbag modules inside
the steering wheel, the instrument panel, and the side of
the front seatbacks closest to the door.
How Does an Airbag Restrain?
Inmoderate to severe frontal or near frontal collisions,
evenbelted occupants can contact the steering wheel or
theinstrument panel. In moderate to severe side
collisions,even belted occupants can contact the inside
ofthe vehicle. Airbags supplement the protection
providedby safety belts. Airbags distribute the force of
theimpact more evenly over the occupant’s upper body,
stoppingthe occupant more gradually. But a frontal
airbagwould not help you in many types of collisions,
includingrollovers, rear impacts, and many side impacts,
primarilybecause an occupant’s motion is not toward a
frontalairbag. A side impact airbag would not help you in
manytypes of collisions, including frontal or near frontal
collisions,rollovers, and rear impacts, primarily because
anoccupant’s motion is not toward a side airbag. Airbags
shouldnever be regarded as anything more than a
supplementto safety belts, and then only in moderate to
severefrontal or near-frontal collisions for frontal airbags,
andonly in moderate to severe side collisions for side
impactairbags.
What Will You See After an Airbag
Inflates?
Afterthe airbag inflates, it quickly deflates, so quickly that
somepeople may not even realize the airbag inflated.
Somecomponents of the airbag module will be hot for a
shorttime. These components include the steering wheel
hubfor the driver’s frontal airbag and the instrument
panelfor the passenger’s frontal airbag. For vehicles with
sideimpact airbags, the side of the seatback closest to
thedriver’s and/or passenger’s door will be hot. The parts
ofthe bag that come into contact with you may be warm,
butnot too hot to touch. There will be some smoke and
dustcoming from the vents in the deflated airbags. Airbag
inflationdoes not prevent the driver from seeing or being
ableto steer the vehicle, nor does it stop people from
leavingthe vehicle.
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