GMC 2011 Sierra - Manual (Page 100)

Black plate (32,1) GMC Sierra Owner Manual - 2011
3-32 Seats and Restraints
Driver Side Shown, Passenger
Side Similar
If the vehicle has roof-rail airbags
for the driver, right front passenger,
and second row outboard
passengers, they are in the ceiling
above the side windows.
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WARNING
If something is between an
occupant and an airbag, the
airbag might not inflate properly
or it might force the object into
that person causing severe
injury or even death. The path
of an inflating airbag must be
kept clear. Do not put anything
between an occupant and an
airbag, and do not attach or put
anything on the steering wheel
hub or on or near any other
airbag covering.
Do not use seat accessories
that block the inflation path of a
seat-mounted side impact airbag.
Never secure anything to the
roof of a vehicle with roof-rail
airbags by routing a rope or tie
down through any door or window
opening. If you do, the path of an
inflating roof-rail airbag will be
blocked.
When Should an Airbag
Inflate?
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 right front passenger's head
and chest. However, they are
only designed to inflate if the
impact exceeds a predetermined
deployment threshold. Deployment
thresholds are used to predict how
severe a crash is likely to be in time
for the airbags to inflate and help
restrain the occupants.
Whether the frontal airbags will
or should deploy is not based on
how fast your vehicle is traveling.
It depends largely on what you hit,
the direction of the impact, and how
quickly your vehicle slows down.