Essential Safety Equipment; SRS Air Bags; Supplemental Restraint Systems (SRS) Precautions- Page 55

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Essential Safety Equipment

Form No. 8Q44-EA-01K

SRS Air Bags

Read this owner’s manual carefully to verify what air bags (driver-side air bag, passenger-
side air bag, side air bags) are equipped in your vehicle.

The front and side supplemental restraint systems (SRS) include 4 air bags.
They are located in:

•

The steering wheel

•

The passenger side dashboard

•

The outboard sides of the front seatbacks

These systems operate independently depending on the type of accident encountered; both 
side air bags are not likely to deploy in the same accident because a vehicle is not often hit 
from both sides. The front and side air bag systems will not normally deploy during the 
same type of accident unless a combination of frontal and side impacts occur.

In a front-end or side impact, the air bag supplemental restraint systems are designed to 
provide only supplemental protection for the driver and front seat passenger. Seat belts 
must still be worn.

Without seat belt usage, the air bags cannot provide adequate protection during an accident. 
Seat belt usage is necessary to:

•

Keep the passenger away from an inflating air bag.

•

Reduce the possibility of injuries during an accident that is not designed for air bag 
inflation, such as roll-over or rear impact.

•

Reduce the possibility of injuries in frontal or side collisions that are not severe enough 
to activate the air bags.

•

Reduce the possibility of being thrown from your vehicle.

•

Reduce the possibility of injuries to lower body and legs during an accident because the 
air bags provide no protection to these parts.

•

Hold the driver in a position which allows better control of the vehicle.

Small children, those under 18 kg (40 lb), should be protected by a child-restraint system 
(page 2-35).

Supplemental Restraint Systems (SRS) Precautions

J16L_EA.book  Page 47  Friday, February 22, 2002  11:34 AM