Chevrolet Spark Owners Manual: When Should an Airbag Inflate?
This vehicle is equipped with airbags. See Airbag System on page 3-19. Airbags are designed to inflate if the impact exceeds the specific airbag system's deployment threshold. Deployment thresholds are used to predict how severe a crash is likely to be in time for the airbags to inflate and help restrain the occupants. The vehicle has electronic sensors that help the airbag system determine the severity of the impact. Deployment thresholds can vary with specific vehicle design.
Frontal airbags are designed to inflate in moderate to severe frontal or near frontal crashes to help reduce the potential for severe injuries, mainly to the driver's or front outboard passenger's head and chest.
Whether the frontal airbags will or should inflate is not based primarily on how fast the vehicle is traveling.
It depends on what is hit, the direction of the impact, and how quickly the vehicle slows down.
Frontal airbags may inflate at different crash speeds depending on whether the vehicle hits an object straight on or at an angle, and whether the object is fixed or moving, rigid or deformable, narrow or wide.
Frontal airbags are not intended to inflate during vehicle rollovers, in rear impacts, or in many side impacts.
In addition, the vehicle has advanced technology frontal airbags. Advanced technology frontal airbags adjust the restraint according to crash severity.
Knee airbags are designed to inflate in moderate to severe frontal or near frontal impacts. Knee airbags are not designed to inflate during vehicle rollovers, in rear impacts, or in many side impacts.
Seat-mounted side impact airbags are designed to inflate in moderate to severe side crashes depending on the location of the impact.
Seat-mounted side impact airbags are not designed to inflate in frontal impacts, near frontal impacts, rollovers, or rear impacts.
A seat-mounted side impact airbag is designed to inflate on the side of the vehicle that is struck.
Roof-rail airbags are designed to inflate in moderate to severe side crashes depending on the location of the impact. In addition, these roof-rail airbags are designed to inflate during a rollover or in a severe frontal impact. Roof-rail airbags are not designed to inflate in rear impacts. Both roof-rail airbags will inflate when either side of the vehicle is struck, if the sensing system predicts that the vehicle is about to roll over on its side, or in a severe frontal impact.
In any particular crash, no one can say whether an airbag should have inflated simply because of the vehicle damage or repair costs.
Where Are the Airbags?
The driver frontal airbag is in the center of the steering wheel.
The front outboard passenger frontal airbag is in the passenger side instrument
panel.
The driver knee airbag is below the ...
What Makes an Airbag Inflate?
In a deployment event, the sensing system sends an electrical signal triggering
a release of gas from the inflator. Gas from the inflator fills the airbag causing
the bag to break out of the cover ...
Other materials:
Interior Glass
To clean, use a terry cloth fabric dampened with water. Wipe droplets left behind
with a clean dry cloth.
Commercial glass cleaners may be used, if necessary, after cleaning the interior
glass with plain water.
Caution
To prevent scratching, never use abrasive cleaners on automotive
glass. ...
Roof Rack System
Warning
If something is carried on top of the vehicle that is longer or
wider than the roof rack-like paneling, plywood, or a mattress-the wind can catch
it while the vehicle is being driven. The item being carried could be violently
torn off, and this could cause a collision and damage the v ...
Safety Belt Use During Pregnancy
Safety belts work for everyone, including pregnant women. Like all occupants,
they are more likely to be seriously injured if they do not wear safety belts.
A pregnant woman should wear a lap-shoulder belt, and the lap portion should
be worn as low as possible, below the rounding, throughou ...
