Your vehicle has an airbag for the driver in the middle of the steering wheel. If it says AIR BAG on the instrument panel in front of the right front passenger's seat, your vehicle has an airbag for the right front passenger.

If there is not a right front passenger's seat, your vehicle has an airbag for the driver only.

Airbags are designed to supplement the protection provided by safety belts. Even though today's airbags are also designed to help reduce the risk of injury from the force of an inflating bag, all airbags must inflate very quickly to do their job.

Here are the most important things to know about the airbag system:

Caution: You can be severely injured or killed in a crash if you are not wearing your safety belt -- even if you have airbags. Wearing your safety belt during a crash helps reduce your chance of hitting things inside the vehicle or being ejected from it. Airbags are "supplemental restraints" to the safety belts. All airbags are designed to work with safety belts, but do not replace them.

Caution: Airbags are designed to deploy in moderate to severe frontal and near frontal crashes. They are not designed to inflate in rollover, rear crashes, or in many side crashes. And, for some unrestrained occupants, airbags may provide less protection in frontal crashes than more forceful airbags have provided in the past. Everyone in your vehicle should wear a safety belt properly -- whether or not there is an airbag for that person.

Caution: Airbags inflate with great force, faster than the blink of an eye. If you are too close to an inflating airbag, as you would be if you were leaning forward, it could seriously injure you. Safety belts help keep you in position before and during a crash. Always wear your safety belt, even with airbags. The driver should sit as far back as possible while still maintaining control of the vehicle.

If your vehicle has an airbag for the right front passenger, read the following:

Caution: Anyone who is up against, or very close to, any airbag when it inflates can be seriously injured or killed. Airbags plus lap-shoulder belts offer the best protection for adults, but not for young children and infants. Neither the vehicle's safety belt system nor its airbag system is designed for them. Young children and infants need the protection that a child restraint system can provide. Always secure children properly in your vehicle. To read how, see Older Children and Infants and Young Children .

There is an airbag readiness light on the instrument panel, which shows the airbag symbol.

The system checks the airbag electrical system for malfunctions. The light tells you if there is an electrical problem. See Airbag Readiness Light for more information.