How Does an Airbag Restrain?
In moderate to severe frontal or near frontal collisions, even belted occupants can contact the steering wheel or the instrument panel. In moderate to severe side collisions, even belted occupants can contact the inside of the vehicle.
Airbags supplement the protection provided by safety belts. Frontal airbags distribute the force of the impact more evenly over the occupant's upper body, stopping the occupant more gradually.
Seat-mounted side impact and roof-rail airbags distribute the force of the impact more evenly over the occupant's upper body.
But airbags would not help in many types of collisions, primarily because the occupant's motion is not toward those airbags. See When Should an Airbag Inflate? for more information.
Airbags should never be regarded as anything more than a supplement to safety belts.
See also:
Rear Axle
When to Check Lubricant
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fluid unless you suspect there is a leak or you hear
an unusual noise. A fluid loss could indicate a
problem. Have it inspe ...
Electrical System Overload
The vehicle has fuses and circuit
breakers to protect against an
electrical system overload.
When the current electrical load is
too heavy, the circuit breaker opens
and closes, protecting th ...
Using Cruise Control on Hills
How well your cruise control works on hills
depends upon your speed, load and the steepness
of the hills. When going up steep hills, you may
want to step on the accelerator pedal to maintain
your ...