___ S_a_f_e_t-=y_ b_e_l_t_s _______________________________________________ _
- Make sure t hat your passengers also buckle up and prop-
erly wea r t heir safety belts.
Protect your childre n with a child restraint system appro -
priate for t he size and age of the children.
The warning light i in the instrument cluster lights up when the
ignition is switched on as a reminder to fasten the safety belts. In
addition, you will hear a warning sound.
After the ignition is switched on, the warning tone will come on for
about 6 seconds along w it h a ,!,-warning light in the inst rument
cluster if either the driver or (on USA models on ly) front seat
passenger has not fastened their safe ty belt. As soon as the driver
and front seat passenger have fastened the safety belt, the warning
tone wi ll stop and the warning light will go out.
If both the driver and front seat passenger have not buck led-up
within about 24 seconds after the warning tone has stopped, t he
warning tone wi ll sound aga in for about 6 seconds . The warning
tone wi ll sound repeatedly for about 6 seconds at 24 second inter-
vals unti l both the driver and front passenger have buckled-up . The
safety belt warning system is active for about 5 minutes and during
t his time the wa rning light in the instrument cluster w ill stay on.
Fasten your safety belt now and make sure th at your passengers
also proper ly put on the ir safety belt s. •
Why safety belts?
Frontal co11isions and the law of physics
Front al crashes create very strong forces for pe ople rid in g
in vehicles.
Fig. 161 Unbelted
occupants in a vehicle
heading for a wa ll
Fig. 162 The vehicle
crashes into t he wa ll
The physical principles are simple. Both the vehicle and the passen-
gers possess energy which varies with vehicle speed and body
we ight. Engineers cal l this energy "kinetic energy ."
The higher the speed of the vehicle and the greater the vehic le's
we ight, the more energy that has to be "absorbed" in the crash .
Vehicle speed is the most significan t factor. If the speed doubles
from 15 to 30 mph (25 to 50 km/h), the energy increases 4 times! .,
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