In moderate to severe frontal or near frontal collisions, even belted occupants can contact the steering wheel or the instrument panel. In moderate to severe side collisions, even belted occupants can contact the inside of the vehicle.
Airbags supplement the protection provided by safety belts. Frontal airbags distribute the force of the impact more evenly over the occupant's upper body, stopping the occupant more gradually. Roof-rail airbags distribute the force of the impact more evenly over the occupant's upper body.
But airbags would not help in many types of collisions, primarily because the occupant's motion is not toward those airbags. See When Should an Airbag Inflate for more information.
Airbags should never be regarded as anything more than a supplement to safety belts.
Chevrolet Cobalt Owners Manual. Reconfigurable Performance Display (RPD)
For vehicles with the RPD, the screen displays
information that can be used to monitor vehicle
performance. The RPD knob located next to the
screen is used to configure the display and select
information to be viewed.
A short video plays whenever the ignition key is turned
on. Press the RPD kn ...