Mercedes-Benz SEAT BELTS AND AIRBAGS, User Manual

Supplemental Restraint Systems. 

What happens when an air bag is deployed? 

During deployment, an air bag inflates within a small fraction of a second during the 

actual collision in order to provide the occupant with additional protection beyond that 
afforded by the seat belt. As inflation must be very rapid to afford protection in the very 

short accident sequence, deployment results with a relatively loud noise. When the 

occupant is properly positioned, contact between the occupant and the inflated air bag 
helps prevent or reduce the severity of the occupant’s striking interior surfaces of the 

vehicle. 

The front air bag or side impact air bag will deflate through vent holes or a permeable 

fabric after inflation in order to provide the intended occupant restraint.  The gases that 

are used to inflate the air bag are hot when expelled from the inflator into the air bag 
itself and cool down relatively rapidly when they mix with the atmosphere within the 

vehicle.  However, escaping gases can cause injury if body parts such as hands come into 
contact with them.  Additionally, the inflator remains hot and should not be touched after 

inflation.  Also, air bag inflation can result in some harmless smoke or dust being 

released into the passenger compartment.   

Available restraint systems for the E-Class (W 211) 

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