What Will You See After an
Airbag Inflates?
After the airbags inflate, they quickly deflate, so quickly
that some people may not even realize the airbags
inflated. Some components of the airbag module — the
steering wheel hub for the driver’s airbag, the instrument
panel for the right front passenger’s bag, the side of the
seatback closest to the door for seat-mounted side
impact airbags, and the area along the ceiling of your
vehicle near the side windows for roof-mounted side
impact airbags — may be hot for a short time. The parts
of the bag that come into contact with you may be warm,
but not too hot to touch. There will be some smoke and
dust coming from the vents in the deflated airbags. Airbag
inflation does not prevent the driver from seeing out of the
windshield or being able to steer the vehicle, nor does it
stop people from leaving the vehicle.
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CAUTION:
When an airbag inflates, there is dust in the air.
This dust could cause breathing problems
for people with a history of asthma or other
breathing trouble. To avoid this, everyone in the
vehicle should get out as soon as it is safe to do
so. If you have breathing problems but cannot
get out of the vehicle after an airbag inflates,
then get fresh air by opening a window or a
door. If you experience breathing problems
following an airbag deployment, you should
seek medical attention.
Your vehicle has a feature that may automatically unlock
the doors and turn the interior lamps on when the airbags
inflate (if battery power is available). You can lock the
doors again and turn the interior lamps off by using the
door lock and interior lamp controls. The hazard warning
flashers will also come on when the airbags deploy. If you
want to turn them off, press the hazard warning flasher
button twice.
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