Lancia THESIS CONNECT Owner's Handbook Manual - page 93

In the event of side collisions at low

speed, the restraining action of the

seat belts is sufficient and the airbag

is not inflated. Also in this case it is

of vital importance to wear the seat

belts since in case of side crash they

guarantee proper positioning of the

passenger and prevent the occupants

to be pitched out of the car in case of

violent crashes.

The front and rear side bag is not a

replacement for the use of seat belts

but rather a complement. We rec-

ommend that seat belts are worn at

all times as prescribed by legislation

in Europe and most other countries

world-wide.

92

SIDE AIRBAGS 

(SIDE BAG - WINDOW BAG)

Purpose of the side airbags is to

increase passenger protection in the

event of a side impact of medium to

high severity.

Side airbags consist of two types of

instantly inflatable bags: 

– the side bags housed in the front

seat bags C (fig. 88) and (where

provided) in the side stuffing of the

rear seats E (fig. 90). This solution

ensures that the bag is always in an

optimal position with respect to the

passenger, regardless of the seat

position;

– the window bags, which are “cur-

tain” cushions located behind the

side coverings of the roof and cov-

ered by proper finishings such to

allow the cushion unfolding down-

wards; this solution, studied for the

head protection, allows offering the

best protection  to the front and rear

passengers in the event of side crash,

thanks to the wide cushion inflation

surface.

In In the event of a side collision

the electronic control unit processes

the signals coming from a decelera-

tion sensor and, if required, fire the

bags.

The bags inflate instantly and act

as a soft protective barrier between

the body of the passengers and the

car door. Bags deflate immediately

afterwards.