Hyundai 2012 Santa Fe - Manual (Page 74)

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Safety systems of your vehicle
How does the air bag system
operate
• Air bags are activated (able to inflate if
necessary) only when the ignition
switch is turned to the ON or START
position.
• Air bags inflate instantly in the event of
serious frontal or side collision in order
to help protect the occupants from seri-
ous physical injury.
Also, the air bags inflate instantly in the
event of a rollover in order to help pro-
tect the occupants from serious physi-
cal injury.
• There is no single speed at which the
air bags will inflate.
Generally, air bags are designed to
inflate based upon the severity of a col-
lision and its direction. These two fac-
tors determine whether the sensors
send out an electronic deployment/
inflation signal.
• Air bag deployment depends on a
number of factors including vehicle
speed, angles of impact and the densi-
ty and stiffness of the vehicles or
objects which your vehicle hits in the
collision. Factors are not limited to
those mentioned above.
• The front air bags will completely
inflate and deflate in an instant.
It is virtually impossible for you to see
the air bags inflate during an accident.
It is much more likely that you will sim-
ply see the deflated air bags hanging
out of their storage compartments after
the collision.
• In order to help provide protection in a
severe collision, the air bags must
inflate rapidly. The speed of air bag
inflation is a consequence of the
extremely short time in which a collision
occurs and the need to position the air
bag between the occupant and the
vehicle structures before the occupant
impacts those structures. This speed of
inflation reduces the risk of serious or
life-threatening injuries in a severe col-
lision and is thus a necessary part of air
bag design.
However, air bag inflation can also
cause injuries which include facial
abrasions, bruises and broken bones,
and sometimes more severe injuries
because the inflation speed also caus-
es the air bags to expand with a great
deal of force.
• There are even circumstances
under which contact with the air bag
can cause fatal injuries, especially if
the occupant is positioned exces-
sively close to the air bag.