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:
Express-Down Window
AUTO (Express-down): The driver’s and front
passenger’s window switches have an
express-down feature that allows you to lower the
window without holding the switch down. Press
down briefly on ...
Recommended Fuel
Use regular unleaded gasoline with a posted octane rating of 87 or higher. If
the octane rating is less than 87, an audible knocking noise, commonly referred
to as spark knock, might be heard when ...
Securing an Add-On Child Restraint in
the Vehicle
WARNING:
A child can be seriously injured or killed in a crash
if the child restraint is not properly secured in the
vehicle. Secure the child restraint properly in the
vehicle using the vehicl ...