Hummer 2004 H2 User Manual download pdf (Page 71)

When Should an Air Bag Inﬂate?

An air bag is designed to inﬂate in a moderate to severe

frontal, or near-frontal crash. The air bag will inﬂate

only if the impact speed is above the system’s designed

'threshold level'.

If your vehicle goes straight into a wall that doesn’t

move or deform, the threshold level is about 9 to 17 mph

(14 to 27 km/h). The threshold level can vary, however,

with speciﬁc vehicle design, so that it can be somewhat

above or below this range. If your vehicle strikes

something that will move or deform, such as a parked

car, the threshold level will be higher. The air bag is not

designed to inﬂate in rollovers, rear impacts, or in

many side impacts because inﬂation would not help the

occupant.

In any particular crash, no one can say whether an air

bag should have inﬂated simply because of the damage

to a vehicle or because of what the repair costs were.

Inﬂation is determined by the angle of the impact

and how quickly the vehicle slows down in frontal or

near-frontal impacts.

The air bag system is designed to work properly under

a wide range of conditions, including off-road usage.

Observe safe driving speeds, especially on rough

terrain. As always, wear your safety belt. See Off-Road

Driving on page 4-17 for more tips on off-road driving.

What Makes an Air Bag Inﬂate?

In an impact of sufficient severity, the air bag sensing

system detects that the vehicle is in a crash. The

sensing system triggers a release of gas from the

inﬂator, which inﬂates the air bag. The inﬂator, air bag,

and related hardware are all part of the air bag

modules inside the steering wheel and in the instrument

panel in front of the right front passenger.

How Does an Air Bag Restrain?

In moderate to severe frontal or near-frontal collisions,

even belted occupants can contact the steering wheel or

the instrument panel. Air bags supplement the

protection provided by safety belts. Air bags distribute

the force of the impact more evenly over the occupant’s

upper body, stopping the occupant more gradually.

But air bags would not help you in many types of

collisions, including rollovers, rear impacts and many

side impacts, primarily because an occupant’s motion is

not toward those air bags. Air bags should never be

regarded as anything more than a supplement to safety

belts, and then only in moderate to severe frontal or

near-frontal collisions.

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Hummer 2004 H2 User Manual Page 71

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