Honda CR-V: How Your Front AirbagsWork

If you ever have a moderate to severe frontal collision, sensors will detect the vehicle’s rapid deceleration.

If the rate of deceleration is high enough, the control unit will inflate the driver’s and front passenger’s airbags, at the time and with the force needed.

During a frontal crash, your seat belt restrains your lower body and torso, and the front airbag helps protect your head and chest.

Although both airbags normally inflate within split second of each other, it is possible for only one airbag to deploy.

This can happen if the severity of a collision is at the margin, or threshold, that determines whether or not the airbags will deploy. In such cases, the seat belt will provide sufficient protection, and the supplemental protection offered by the airbag would be minimal.

Only the driver’s airbag can deploy if there is no passenger in the front seat, or if the advanced airbag system has turned the passenger’s airbag off.

After inflating, the front airbags immediately deflate, so they won’t interfere with the driver’s visibility, or the ability to steer or operate other controls.

The total time for inflation and deflation is one-tenth of a second, so fast that most occupants are not aware that the airbags deployed until they see them lying in their laps.

After a crash, you may see what looks like smoke. This is actually powder from the airbag’s surface.

Although the powder is not harmful, people with respiratory problems may experience some temporary discomfort. If this occurs, get out of the vehicle as soon as it is safe to do so.

Dual-Stage Airbags

Your front airbags are dual-stage airbags. This means they have two inflation stages that can be ignited sequentially or simultaneously, depending on crash severity.

In a more severe crash, both stages will ignite simultaneously to provide the quickest and greatest protection.

In a less severe crash, one stage will ignite first, then the second stage will ignite a split second later. This provides longer airbag inflation time with a little less force.

Dual-Threshold Airbags

Your front airbags are also dualthreshold airbags. Airbags with this feature have two deployment thresholds that depend on whether sensors detect the occupant is wearing a seat belt or not.

If the occupant’s belt is not latched, the airbag will deploy at a slightly lower threshold, because the occupant would need extra protection.

If the occupant’s belt is latched, the airbag will inflate at a slightly higher threshold, when the airbag would be needed to supplement the protection provided by the seat belt.

Advanced Airbags

Your front airbags are also advanced airbags. The main purpose of this feature is to help prevent airbagcaused injuries to short drivers and children or small-statured adults who ride in front.

For both advanced airbags to work properly:

Occupants must sit upright and wear their seat belts properly.

Do not spill any liquids on or under the seats, cover the sensors, or put any objects or metal items under the front seats.

Failure to follow these instructions could damage the sensors or prevent them from working properly.

The driver’s advanced front airbag system includes a seat position sensor under the seat. If the seat is too far forward, the airbag will inflate with less force, regardless of the severity of the impact.

If there is a problem with the sensor, the SRS indicator will come on, and the airbag will inflate in the normal manner regardless of the driver’s seating position.

The passenger’s advanced front airbag system has weight sensors under the seat. Although Honda does not encourage carrying an infant or small child in front, if the sensors detect the weight of an infant or small child (up to about 65 lbs or 29 kg), the system will automatically turn the passenger’s front airbag off.

Be aware that objects placed on the passenger’s seat can also cause the airbag to be turned off.

When the passenger airbag gets turned off by the weight sensors, a ‘‘passenger airbag off’’ indicator in the center of the dashboard comes on.

If the weight sensors detect there is no passenger in the front seat, the airbag is automatically turned off.

However, the passenger airbag off indicator in this situation will not come on.

To ensure that the passenger’s advanced front airbag system will work properly, do not do anything that would increase or decrease the weight on the front passenger’s seat.

This includes:

A rear passenger pushing or pulling on the back of the front passenger’s seat.

Moving the front seat forcibly back against cargo on the seat or floor behind it.

Hanging heavy items on the front passenger seat, or placing heavy items in the seat-back pocket.

Moving the front seat or seat-back forcibly back against the folded rear seat.

Back seat passengers should not wedge objects or intentionally force their feet under the front passenger seat.

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