In a severe frontal impact, the SRS front airbags inflate along with the seat belts to reduce injury. Front SRS airbags help reduce injury primarily to the head or chest of the driver or front passenger from a direct impact on the steering wheel or instrument panel. The front passenger airbag will deploy even if there is no passenger in the front seat. Be sure to fasten your seat belt properly.
Warning! The driver or passenger in the front seat sitting too close to the steering wheel or instrument panel could be seriously injured or killed when the air bag deploys. Toyota strongly recommends the following:
- - the driver should sit as far as possible from the steering wheel, providing control over the car;
- - the front passenger should sit as far as possible from the dashboard;
- - all people in the car must be fastened with the available seat belts.
The SRS front airbag system is designed to deploy in response to a severe front impact in the shaded area between the arrows in the illustration.
The front SRS airbags will deploy if the impact force exceeds the calculated limit, comparable in strength to the impact of a direct collision with a fixed obstacle, which does not move or deform, at a vehicle speed of approximately 25 km / h (km/h).
If the impact force does not exceed the above limit, the front SRS airbags may not deploy.
However, the speed threshold will be significantly higher if the vehicle collides with an object such as a parked vehicle or a traffic sign, which may move or deform on impact or in a bottom impact (for example, when the front of the car «calls in» under a truck body, etc.).
There is a possibility that in some cases in a collision in the lower zone of sensitivity and the activation of the SRS airbag sensors and the seat belt pretensioners will not work at the same time.
For the safety of all passengers, they must always wear their seat belts properly.
Pic. 1.108. Typical accidents in which airbags deploy
The front SRS airbags are designed not to inflate if the vehicle is subjected to a side or rear impact, if the vehicle is rolled over, or if it is involved in a frontal collision at low speed (pic. 1.108).
The SRS front airbags may deploy in the event of a severe impact on the underside of your vehicle.
Pic. 1.109. Driver and Passenger SRS Components
The SRS airbag system consists of the following main components, the location of which is shown in Figure 1.109:
- 1. Front airbag sensors;
- 2. Control lamp of the SRS system;
- 3. Front passenger airbag module (airbag and injection device);
- 4. Driver's seat belt buckle switch;
- 5. Driver's seat position sensor;
- 6. Node sensors airbags;
- 7. Driver airbag module (airbag and injection device).
The airbag sensor assembly consists of allowable impact sensors and airbag deployment sensors.
In response to a strong front impact, the sensor detects a deceleration and the system activates the airbag inflators. At this point, a chemical reaction in the inflators quickly fills the airbags with non-toxic gas to keep passengers from moving forward.
When the airbags inflate, a rather loud noise will be heard, and some smoke will be emitted with non-toxic gas residues. This is not a sign of fire. This gas is usually harmless; however, it may cause minor skin irritation in people with sensitive skin. Be sure to wash off residue as quickly as possible to prevent even slight skin irritation.
Airbags deploy in a fraction of a second, so airbags must inflate with considerable force. Although the system is designed to reduce serious injury, it can itself cause minor burns, abrasions, and swelling.
Airbag Module Parts (steering wheel hub, dashboard) may be hot for several minutes, but the airbag itself does not get hot. Airbags are for single use only.
If the impact is strong enough to deploy the airbags, the windshield may shatter. In vehicles with a passenger airbag, the windshield can also be damaged by the force that inflates the airbag.
Table 1.6. Operation of individual groups of elements of the additional passive safety system
Elements of the SRS system | Head-on collision | side impact (left) | side impact (on right) |
Driver air bag module | + | - | - |
Front Passenger Airbag Module | + | - | - |
Seat belt pretensioner, front left | + | — | - |
Seat belt pretensioner, front right seat | + | ||
Front Left Airbag Module | - | + | + |
Front Right Airbag Module | - | - | + |
Curtain Type Left Airbag Module | - | + | |
Curtain Type Right Naive Cushion Module | - | - | + |