What is the danger of undeployed airbags?

• A. They may deploy unexpectedly. Disconnect the battery and avoid the deployment path.
• B. They prevent seatbelts from locking.
• C. They are harmless if not deployed.
• D. They can only deploy in a rollover.

Answer: (A)

Undeployed airbags can still deploy suddenly, so they pose a real threat to rescuers and patients even when they haven’t been triggered in a crash yet. The inflator uses a small explosive charge to inflate the bag in a fraction of a second, and any disturbance—such as prying near the dash, cutting panels, or reconnecting power—can set it off unexpectedly. That’s why the safest step is to disconnect the vehicle’s battery to minimize the risk of accidental deployment and to stay clear of the airbag’s deployment path, which is typically the steering wheel, dashboard, or side airbags near the doors.

Airbags do not interfere with seatbelt pretensioners or locking mechanisms; seatbelts will still lock to restrain occupants even if airbags are present. They aren’t harmless if not deployed—undeployed bags can still cause injury if they deploy unexpectedly or are damaged. And airbags can deploy in various crash scenarios, not only in rollovers; front airbags respond to frontal impacts, side curtain airbags to side impacts, and other systems can deploy in different crash types, so assuming deployment only occurs in rollovers is incorrect.