Cadillac Escalade: How Does an Airbag Restrain? - Airbag System - Seats and Restraints - Cadillac Escalade Owner's ManualCadillac Escalade: How Does an Airbag Restrain?

In moderate to severe frontal or near frontal collisions, even belted occupants can contact the steering wheel or the instrument panel. In moderate to severe side collisions, even belted occupants can contact the inside of the vehicle.

Airbags supplement the protection provided by safety belts. Frontal airbags distribute the force of the impact more evenly over the occupant's upper body, stopping the occupant more gradually.

Seat-mounted side impact and roof-rail airbags distribute the force of the impact more evenly over the occupant's upper body.

Rollover capable roof-rail airbags are designed to help contain the head and chest of occupants in the outboard seating positions in the first, second, and third rows, if equipped with a third row seat. The rollover capable roof-rail airbags are designed to help reduce the risk of full or partial ejection in rollover events, although no system can prevent all such ejections.

But airbags would not help in many types of collisions, primarily because the occupant's motion is not toward those airbags. See When Should an Airbag Inflate?   for more information.

Airbags should never be regarded as anything more than a supplement to safety belts.

    What Makes an Airbag Inflate?
    In a deployment event, the sensing system sends an electrical signal triggering a release of gas from the inflator. Gas from the inflator fills the airbag causing the bag to break out of the cover a ...

    What Will You See after an Airbag Inflates?
    After the frontal airbags and seat-mounted side impact airbags inflate, they quickly deflate, so quickly that some people may not even realize an airbag inflated. Roof-rail airbags may still be at l ...

    See also:

    Cruise Control Light
    The cruise control light comes on whenever the cruise control is set. The light goes out when the cruise control is turned off. See Cruise Control   for more information. ...

    Daylight running lamps
    With the main lighting control in the Off position (1), low beam headlamps, side lamps, tail, license plate lamps and, where fitted, side marker lamps, will switch on automatically under the follo ...

    Tire Rotation and Required Services Every 12 000 km/ 7,500 mi
    Rotate the tires, if recommended for the vehicle, and perform the following services. See Tire Rotation  . Check engine oil level and oil life percentage. If needed, change engine oil and ...