2001 Cadillac Catera Owners Manual - Files

How does an air bag restrain?In moderate to severe frontal or near frontal collisions,even belted occupants can contact the steering wheel orthe instrument panel. In moderate to severe sidecollisions, even belted occupants can contact the insideof the vehicle. The air bag supplements the protectionprovided by safety belts. Air bags distribute the force ofthe impact more evenly over the occupant’s upper body,stopping the occupant more gradually. But the frontal airbags would not help you in many types of collisions,including rollovers, rear impacts, and side impacts,primarily because an occupant’s motion is not towardthe air bag. Side impact air bags would not help you inmany types of collisions, including frontal or nearfrontal collisions, rollovers, and rear impacts, primarilybecause an occupant’s motion is not toward those airbags. Air bags should never be regarded as anythingmore than a supplement to safety belts, and then only inmoderate to severe frontal or near-frontal collisions forthe driver’s and right front passenger’s frontal air bags,and only in moderate to severe side collisions for thedriver’s and right front passenger’s side impact air bags.What will you see after an air bag inflates?After an air bag inflates, it quickly deflates, so quicklythat some people may not even realize the air baginflated. Some components of the air bag module -- thesteering wheel hub for the driver’s air bag, the instrumentpanel for the right front passenger’s bag, the side of theseatback closest to the door for the driver and right frontpassenger’s side impact air bags -- will be hot for a shorttime. The parts of the bag that come into contact with youmay be warm, but not too hot to touch. There will besome smoke and dust coming from the vents in thedeflated air bags. Air bag inflation doesn’t prevent thedriver from seeing or being able to steer the vehicle,nor does it stop people from leaving the vehicle.1-32