29Safety

Airbag

The AIRBAG system comprises an airbag in
the steering wheel, a front passenger airbag
and side airbags in the front seats.
The system supplements the protection
provided by the safety belts to further
enhance the safety of the occupants.
If a fault is detected in the AIRBAG, the
AIR BAG warning light on the main instru-
ment panel will come on (see pages 61
and 37).
When the system is triggered by impact of a
frontal crash, the airbags in the steering
wheel and passenger side of the dash board
are inflated, after which they deflate through
vents in the back of the bags.
The entire process takes less than
0.1 second – literally, faster than the blink-
ing of an eye.
The driver and passenger airbags are
referred to as ‘smart’ airbags. This means
that the system compensates for factors
such as the force of the collision.
Note:
The sensor reacts differently depending on
whether or not the front seatbelts on the
driver’s and passenger sides are used. Sit-
uations can therefore arise where only one
of the airbags inflates.
It is also possible for only the seatbelt pre-
tensioners to be activated and for the air-
bags to remain uninflated.
These airbags are triggered only by moder-
ate to severe frontal or near-frontal crashes.
They will not be activated by minor front-end
impacts, rear-end or side impacts, or by the
car rolling over.
WARNING
To reduce risk of injury:
•Always wear your safety belt.
•Always adjust your seat so that you
are as far back as possible but still
able to operate the pedals and reach
the steering wheel and controls com-
fortably.
• Children 12 and under or shorter than
59 inches (150 cm) should always
travel in the rear seat as the car is fitted
with a passenger airbag.
•Never fit a child seat in front of the pas-
senger airbag.
IB419

Inflated airbag (driver side)

Inflation and deflation together take less than
0.1 second.
95_U S_M 07.book Page 29 Friday, June 9, 2006 8:58 AM