Occupant safety
35
Safety and security
Safety notes
The most important restraint systems in
the vehicle are the seat belts and child
restraint systems. They are the most effec-
tive means of preventing vehicle occu-
pants from moving towards the point of
impact and thus reducing the risk of occu-
pants hitting parts of the vehicle interior.
The use of seat belts and child restraint
systems is required by law in all 50 states,
the District of Columbia, U.S. territories
and all Canadian provinces. Even where
this is not the case, all vehicle occupants
should have their seat belts fastened
whenever the vehicle is in motion.
For information on children traveling with
you in the vehicle and on child restraint
systems, see "Children in the vehicle"
(
e page 44).
G Warning
Modifications to or work incorrectly carried
out on a restraint system (seat belt and seat
belt anchorages, emergency tensioning re-
tractor, belt force limiter or airbag) or its wir-
ing, or tampering with other networked
electronic systems, could cause the restraint
systems to stop working correctly.
The airbags or emergency tensioning retrac-
tors could, for example, be activated inad-
vertently or could fail in accidents in which
the deceleration force is sufficient to deploy
the airbag.
For this reason, do not modify the restraint
systems. Do not tamper with electronic com-
ponents or their software.
Seat belts
G Warning
Airbags do offer additional protection but
they are not a substitute for the seat belts. To
reduce the risk of serious or fatal injuries,
make sure that all occupants – in particular,
expectant mothers – wear their seat belt cor-
rectly at all times, have adopted a normal sit-
ting position and that the seat is positioned
as upright as possible.
G Warning
A seat belt that is worn incorrectly or not at
all, or that is not correctly engaged in the seat
belt buckle, cannot perform its intended pro-
tective function. In certain circumstances,
you could be seriously or even fatally injured.
Make sure, that all occupants – in particular,
expectant mothers – wear their seat belt cor-
rectly at all times.
You must make sure that the belt:
O is routed as low as possible across your
pelvic area, for example across your hip
joints and not across your abdomen
O fits closely
O is not twisted
O is routed across the middle of your shoul-
der
O is not routed across your neck or under
your arm
O is pulled tight across the lap by pulling
upwards on the shoulder belt
Do not secure any objects with a seat belt if
it is being used by one of the vehicle's occu-
pants.
Avoid wearing bulky clothing, for example a
winter coat.
Do not route the belt strap over sharp or frag-
ile objects, especially if these are located in
or on your clothing, for example eyeglasses,
pens or keys. The belt strap could otherwise
tear in the event of an accident and you or
other vehicle occupants could be injured as a
result.
Only one person may use each seat belt at
any one time.
ee
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