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 by distributing the force of the impact more evenly over the occupant's body.
Rollover capable roof—rail airbags are designed to help contain the head and chest of occupants in the outboard seating positions in the first and second rows.
The rollover capable roof—rail airbags are designed to help reduce the risk of full or partial ejection in rollover events, although no system can prevent all such ejections.
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:
Securing Child Restraints (Right Front Seat Position)
This vehicle has airbags. A rear seat is a safer place to secure a forward-facing
child restraint. See Where to Put the Restraint .
In addition, the vehicle may have a passenger sensing syste ...
Collision Damage Repair (U.S. and Canada)
If the vehicle is involved in a collision and it is damaged, have the damage
repaired by a qualified technician using the proper equipment and quality
replacement parts. Poorly performed collision r ...
Returning the Seat to the Sitting Position
To return the seat to the sitting position from the tumbled position:
1. Pull the seat down until it latches to the floor. The seatback cannot be raised
if the seat is not latched to the floor.
...