KIA Sportage 2008 - Manual (Page 83)

Knowing your vehicle
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How does the airbag system
operate
• Airbags only operate when the
ignition switch is turned to the ON
or START positions.
• Airbags inflate instantly in the
event of serious frontal or side col-
lision in order to help protect the
occupants from physical injury.
The airbag Electronic Control Unit
(ECU) is a small computer which
calculates the immediate impact
information and sends out a
deployment signal based on the
ECU's calculation of the likely
severity of the developing collision.
• There is no single vehicle speed at
which the airbags will inflate.
• Airbag deployment depends on a
number of factors including vehicle
speed, angles of impact and the
density and stiffness of the vehi-
cles or objects which your vehicle
hits in the collision. However, fac-
tors are not limited to those men-
tioned above.
• The front airbags will completely
inflate and deflate in an instant.
It is impossible for you to see the
airbags inflate during an accident.
It is much more likely that you will
simply see the deflated airbags
hanging out of their storage com-
partments after the collision.
• In order to help provide protection
in a severe collision, the airbags
must inflate rapidly. The speed of
airbag inflation has been deter-
mined by the Canadian Motor
Vehicle Safety Standard (CMVSS)
to reduce the likelihood of serious
or life-threatening injuries and is
thus a mandatory part of the airbag
design.
However, airbag inflation can also
cause injuries which normally can
include facial abrasions, bruises
and broken bones, and sometimes
more serious injuries because that
inflation speed also causes the
airbags to expand with a great deal
force.
• There are even circumstances
under which contact with the
steering wheel airbag can cause
fatal injuries, especially if the
occupant is positioned exces-
sively close to the steering
wheel.