What happens immediately after the crash sensor detects deceleration?

The correct answer is that the airbag deploys and inflates immediately after the crash sensor detects deceleration. When a collision occurs, the crash sensor detects rapid deceleration and triggers the airbag system as a safety measure. The deployment of airbags is designed to occur in milliseconds after the detection of a collision to provide maximum protection to the occupant by cushioning their impact with the interior of the vehicle.

This rapid response is crucial because it helps reduce the risk of serious injury or fatality during a crash. Once the system recognizes that the vehicle has experienced significant deceleration beyond a certain threshold, it activates the inflators, causing the airbag to deploy and inflate instantaneously to help absorb the force exerted on the occupant.

The other options involve actions that do not occur immediately upon detection of deceleration by the crash sensor. The movement of the occupant forward, while it does happen due to inertia during a crash, does not occur the instant the sensor detects deceleration. Similarly, while the brakes may be engaged if the driver had applied them before impact, this action is not controlled by the crash sensor's detection of deceleration. Finally, the engine shutting down is not a function of the crash sensor but rather a response that can occur due to other systems