Safety Precautions
11
Veh
ic
le
Saf
et
y
This section describes some important safety
precautions. For airbag system components
and features, see “Airbag System.”
2
The airbag system is an integral part of your
vehicle and is covered by your new vehicle
warranty.
The most important things you need to know
about your airbag are:
●
The airbag has a limited but very important
role.
The airbag can reduce the severity of
injuries and help save your life in certain
severe frontal impacts. It cannot prevent all
injuries or deaths that can occur in a crash,
and some crashes are too severe for any
safety feature or system to prevent death.
●
The airbag is designed to deploy in a severe
head-on or nearly head-on frontal impact.
The impact can be with another vehicle or
an object, such as a concrete highway
barrier. A severe frontal impact is one in
which the rider would be thrown forward
off the front of the vehicle.
●
The airbag might deploy in a severe angled
frontal collision, or in a sideswipe, or if the
vehicle underrides the rear of another
vehicle.
However, because there are many variables
in a collision, the airbag might not be able
to reduce the severity of injuries to the
rider.
●
The airbag might deploy if the front tire
drops into a sharp depression, such as a
pothole, or strikes a hard raised object,
such as a curb.
A brief high rate of deceleration can cause
the airbag to deploy, even though it would
not be needed.
●
The airbag is designed to help protect the
rider.
It is not designed to help protect a
passenger.
●
The airbag is not intended to replace a
helmet.
Helmets have proven effective in reducing
the severity of head injuries in all types of
crashes. So always wear a helmet, and
make sure a passenger wears one as well.
There are several situations in which the vehicle
airbag should not deploy. Four of the more
common situations are discussed here.
●
If a rider is traveling at a moderate speed
and has a minor frontal collision, such as
running into the rear of a car slowing down
ahead, or stopped at a traffic light, the rate
of deceleration should be low enough for
the rider to either stay on the vehicle or
receive less than severe injuries to the head
or chest.
●
Being struck in the side or rear by another
vehicle can result in very serious injuries.
But since the sensors are attached to the
frame, such a crash cannot be detected by
the sensors. Therefore, the airbag should
not deploy, and it would not be helpful to
the rider even if it did deploy.
●
Another situation that should not result in
airbag deployment is if the vehicle slides
out and goes down on a slippery surface.
Again, the crash would not be detected or
determined to be a severe frontal impact,
and the airbag would not benefit the rider
even if it did deploy.
Airbag System
GL1800DA
continued
