Cadillac ATS/ATS-V Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/Mexico-
11349135) - 2018 - crc - 5/1/17
SEATS AND RESTRAINTS
79
restrain the occupants. The vehicle
has electronic frontal 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 impacts.
Knee airbags are not designed to
inflate during vehicle rollovers, in rear
impacts, or in many side impacts.
The vehicle also has a seat position
sensor that enables the sensing
system to monitor the position of the
front outboard passenger seat. The
passenger seat position sensor and the
passenger seat belt buckle provide
information that is used to determine
if the passenger knee airbag should
inflate.
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 or 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.
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. The inflator, the airbag, and
related hardware are all part of the
airbag module.
