Deployment of side air bags

The side air bags ARE DESIGNED TO DEPLOY when...

The side air bags are designed to deploy when the vehicle suffers a moderate to severe side impact to the middle of the passenger compartment.

The typical condition is shown in the illustration.

The seat belts in your vehicle are your primary means of protection in a collision. The SRS (Supplemental Restraint System) side air bags are designed to provide additional protection. Therefore, for your safety and the safety of all occupants, be sure to always properly wear your seat belts.

With certain types of side collisions, the vehicle’s body structure is designed to absorb the shock to help protect the occupants from harm. (The vehicle body’s side area may deform significantly as it absorbs the impact.) Under such circumstances, the side air bags may not deploy irrespective of the deformation and damage to the vehicle body.

Examples of some typical conditions are shown in the illustration:

1- Side impacts in an area away from the passenger compartment
2- Motorcycle or other similar small vehicle collides with the side of the vehicle
3- Collision with a utility pole, tree or other narrow object
4- Oblique side impacts
5- Vehicle rolls onto its side or roof

Because the side air bags do not protect the occupant in all types of side collisions, be sure to always properly wear your seat belts.

The side air bags ARE DESIGNED NOT TO DEPLOY when...

The side air bags are designed not to deploy in conditions where they cannot usually provide protection to the occupant. Typical conditions are shown in the illustration:

1- Head-on collisons
2- Rear end collisions

Because the side air bags do not protect the occupant in all types of side collisions, be sure to always properly wear your seat belts.

WARNING

(1) The side air bags are designed to supplement the driver and front passenger seat belts in certain side impacts. Seat belts should always be worn properly, and the driver and front passenger should sit well back and upright without leaning against the window or door.

(2) The side air bag inflates with great force. The driver and front passenger should not put their arms out the window and should not lean against the door, in order to reduce risk of serious or possible fatal injury from a deploying side air bag.
(3) Do not allow any rear seat occupant to hold onto the seatback of either front seat, in order to reduce risk of injury from a deploying side air bag. Special care should be taken with children.
(4) Do not place any objects near or in front of the seatback of either front seat. They could interfere with proper side air bag inflation and also could cause injury if thrown free by side air bag deployment.
(5) Do not place stickers, labels or additional trim on the seatback of either front seat. They could interfere with proper side air bag inflation.
(6) Do not install seat covers on seats with side air bags. Do not re-cover the seats with side air bags. They could interfere with proper side air bag inflation.
(7) Never install a rear-facing child restraint in the front passenger seat. A forward-facing child restraint should be used in the rear seat only, whenever possible. If a forward-facing child restraint must be used in the front passenger seat, adjust the seat to the fully backward position and take care to ensure that the child stays in the child restraint and away from the door. Do not allow the child to lean against or close to the front door even if the child is seated in a child restraint system. The child’s head should also not be leaned against or be close to the area of the seat where the side air bag is located. It is dangerous if the side air bag inflates. Failure to follow all of these instructions could lead to serious or fatal injury to the child.
(8) Work around and on the side air bag system components should only be done by an authorized MITSUBISHI dealer. Improper work could result in inadvertent deployment of a side air bag or could render a side air bag inoperative; either situation could result in serious injury.