Buick Enclave: How Does an Airbag Restrain? - Airbag System - Seats and Restraints - Buick Enclave Owner's ManualBuick Enclave: 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 by distributing the force of the impact more evenly over the occupant's 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.

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 ...

    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 ...

    See also:

    Filling a Portable Fuel Container
    WARNING Never fill a portable fuel container while it is in the vehicle. Static electricity discharge from the container can ignite the fuel vapor. You can be badly burned and the vehicle damaged ...

    SNOW mode switch
    For driving or starting the vehicle on snowy roads or slippery areas, push on the SNOW mode switch. The SNOW mode indicator light will illuminate. When the SNOW mode is activated, engine out ...

    Brake Pedal Travel
    See your dealer if the brake pedal does not return to normal height, or if there is a rapid increase in pedal travel. This could be a sign that brake service might be required. ...