NISSAN 2012 Versa Hatchback - Consumer Safety & Air Bag Information Guide - Manual (Page 4)

2012 NISSAN Consumer Safety & Air Bag Information Guide 3
EFFECTIVE USE OF SEAT BELTS AND AIR BAGS
Seat belts and supplemental air bags are most effective when vehicle occupants are sitting
upright and well back in the seat with both feet on the floor. Keep in mind that air bags
inflate with great force. Being unrestrained, leaning forward, sitting sideways, or being out
of position in any way puts you at a greater risk of injury or death in a crash. You may also
receive serious or fatal injuries from the air bag system if you are up against it when it
inflates. Always sit back against the seatback with both feet on the floor and as far away as
practical from the steering wheel or dashboard and always wear your seat belt. Please see
the SEAT BELT SAFETY section of this guide and the vehicle owner’s manual for more
information.
HOW AND WHEN FRONT AIR BAGS WORK
While the inner workings of a supplemental front air bag system are complicated,
understanding what makes the front air bags deploy is rather easy: the vehicle’s front air
bag sensor system is designed to detect rapid deceleration usually associated with
moderate to severe frontal collisions within a limited range of angles. The vehicle’s
deceleration rate is related to various factors, such as speed of the vehicles involved, the
weight and stiffness of the vehicles/objects involved, contact locations, and the angle of
impact, to name a few. Once the sensor system is activated, the front air bags inflate with a
harmless gas almost instantly.