Honda Accord: How Your Side Airbags Work

If you ever have a moderate to severe side impact, sensors will detect rapid acceleration and signal the control unit to instantly inflate either the driver’s or the passenger’s side airbag.

Only one airbag will deploy during a side impact. If the impact is on the passenger’s side, the passenger’s side airbag will deploy even if there is no passenger.

To get the best protection from the side airbags, front seat occupants should wear their seat belts and sit upright and well back in their seats.

Side Airbag Cutoff System

Your vehicle has a side airbag cutoff system designed primarily to protect a child riding in the front passenger’s seat.

Although Honda does not encourage children to ride in front, if the position sensors detect a child has leaned into the side airbag’s deployment path, the airbag will shut off.

The side airbagmay also shut off if a short adult leans sideways, or a larger adult slouches and leans sideways into the airbag’s deployment path.

Objects placed on the front passenger seat can also cause the side airbag to be shut off.

If the side airbag off indicator comes on, have the passenger sit upright. Once the passenger is out of the airbag’s deployment path, the system will turn the airbag back on, and the indicator will go out.

There will be some delay between the moment the passenger moves into or out of the airbag deployment path and when the indicator comes on or goes off.

A front seat passenger should not use a cushion or another object as a backrest. It may prevent the cutoff system from working properly.