FORD 2000 Focus - Manual (Page 105)

Seating and safety restraints
105
The side air bags are fitted on the
outboard side of the seatbacks of
the front seats. In certain lateral
collisions, the air bag on the side
affected by the collision will be
inflated, even if the respective seat
is not occupied. The air bag was
designed to inflate between the
door panel and occupant to further
enhance the protection provided
occupants in side impact collisions.
The air bag SRS is designed to
activate when the vehicle sustains
sufficient lateral deceleration to
cause the sensors to close an
electrical circuit that initiates air
bag inflation.
The fact that the air bags did not
inflate in a collision does not mean
that something is wrong with the
system. Rather, it means the forces
were not of the type sufficient to
cause activation. Side air bags are
designed to inflate in sideĆimpact
collisions, not rollover, rearĆimpact,
frontal or nearĆfrontal collisions,
unless the collision causes
sufficient lateral deceleration.
Several air bag system
components get hot after
inflation. Do not touch them after
inflation.