2-26
Safety system of your vehicle
How does the air bag operate?
• Air bags are activated (able to
inflate if necessary) only when the
ignition switch is turned to the ON
or START position.
• Air bags instantly inflate in the
event of a serious frontal collision
in order to help protect the occu-
pants from serious physical injury.
• There is no single speed at which
the air bags will inflate.
Generally, air bags are designed to
inflate in accordance with the
severity of a collision and its direc-
tion. These two factors determine
whether the sensors produce an
electronic deployment/inflation sig-
nal.
• Air bag deployment depends on a
number of factors, including a driv-
ing speed, an impact angle, a vehi-
cle density/stiffness or a colliding
object, which your vehicle strikes
with in a collision. Those factors
are not limited to those mentioned
above.
• The front air bags will completely
inflate and deflate in an instant.
It is virtually impossible for you to
observe the inflation of the air bags
during an accident.
It is more likely that you will simply
see the deflated air bags hanging
out of the air-bag storage compart-
ments after a collision.
• In order to protect occupants in a
severe collision, the air bags must
rapidly inflate. The speed of air bag
inflation is a consequence of the
extremely short colliding time as
well as the necessity to inflate the
air bag between the occupant and
the vehicle structure before the
occupant strikes with the vehicle
structure. This fast inflating speed
reduces the risk of serious or life-
threatening injury in a severe colli-
sion. This is the core part in
designing an air bag.
However, air bag inflation may also
cause injury, such as a facial abra-
sion, a bruise and a broken bones,
because the air bags expand with
a great deal of force.
•
There are certain circumstances
under which the air bag installed
in the steering wheel may cause
fatal injury, especially when the
occupant is positioned exces-
sively close to the steering
wheel.
•
To avoid severe personal
injury or death caused by
deploying air bags in a colli-
sion, the driver should sit in
the rearmost position from
the air bag installed in the
steering wheel (at least 250
mm (10 inches) away). The
front passengers should
always move their seats as far
back as possible and sit back
in their seats.
•
Air bags instantly inflate in
the event of a collision. Thus,
passengers may be injured by
the inflating air bag, when
they are in an improper posi-
tion.
•
Air bag inflation may cause
injury, such as facial/bodily
abrasions, injuries by broken
glasses, or skin burns.
WARNING
