Child safety
48Safety notes on using child seats
Proper use of child seats substantially reduces the risk of
injury in an accident!As the driver, you are responsible for any children you transport in
your vehicle.
– Protect your children by properly using appropriate child seats
⇒page 49.
– Always ensure that the belt webbing is properly positioned according to the instructions prov ided by the manufacturer of the
child seat.
– When travelling, do not allow children to distract you from traffic.
– Take breaks regularly during long trips. Take a break at least every two hours.
WARNING
•
Never install a rear-facing child seat on the front passenger seat unless
the front passenger airbag has been disabled. Risk of potentially fatal inju-
ries to the child! If it is necessary, in exceptional circumstances, to trans-
port a child on the front passenger seat, always disable the front passenger
airbag ⇒ page 45, “Deactivating airbags*”.
•
For those vehicles that do not include a key lock switch to turn the
airbag off, an Authorised Service Centre must be consulted.
•
All passengers, especially children, must assume the proper sitting
position and be properly belted in while travelling.
•
Never hold children or babies on your lap, this can result in potentially
fatal injuries to the child!
•
Never allow a child to be transported in a vehicle without being properly
secured, or to stand up or kneel on a seat while travelling. In an accident,
the child could be thrown through the vehicle, causing possibly fatal inju-
ries to themselves and other occupants.
•
If children assume an improper sitting position when the car is moving,
they expose themselves to greater risk of injury during a sudden braking
manoeuvre or in an accident. This is pa rticularly the case if the child is trav-
elling on the front passenger seat and the airbag system is triggered in an
accident; this could have consequences including serious injury or death.
•
A suitable child seat can protect your child!
•
Never leave a child unsupervised in a child seat or alone in the vehicle.
•
Depending on weather conditions, it may become extremely hot or cold
inside the vehicle. This can be fatal.
•
Children who are less than 1.5 metres tall must not wear a normal seat
belt without a child restraint system, as this could cause injuries to the
abdominal and neck areas during a sudden braking manoeuvre or in an
accident.
•
Do not allow the belt webbing to become twisted or jammed, or to rub
on any sharp edges.
•
Incorrectly worn seat belts can cause injuries even in a minor collision
or sudden braking manoeuvres.
•
The seat belt provides maximum prot ection only when the belt web is
properly positioned ⇒ page 24, “Seat belts”.
•
Only one child may occupy a child seat ⇒page 49, “Child seats”.WARNING (continued)
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Child safety49
Safety First
Operating instructions
Tips and Maintenance
Te c h n i c a l D a t a
Child seatsCategorisation of child seats into groups
Use only child seats that are officially approved and suitable
for the child.Child seats are covered by the European standard ECE R 44 (issued by the
Economic Commission of Europe).
The child seats are grouped into 5 categories:
Group 0: up to 10 kg
Group 0+ : up to 13 kg
Group 1: from 9 to 18 kg
Group 2: from 15 to 25 kg
Group 3: from 22 to 36 kg
Child seats that have been tested and approved under the ECE R 44 standard
bear the test mark on the seat (the letter E in a circle with the test number
below it).
Group 0 and 0+ child seats
A suitable child seat and a corr ectly adjusted seat belt can
help to protect your child.Group 0: For babies from about 9 months old and 10 kg in weight the most
suitable seats are those appearing in the illustratio n ⇒ fig. 27.
Group 0+: For babies from about 18 months old and 13 kg in weight the most
suitable seats are those ap pearing in the illustration.
Follow the manufacturer's instructio ns and observe any statutory require-
ments when installing and using child seats.
We recommend that you include the manufacturer's directions for child seat
use in the vehicle wallet and always keep them in the vehicle.
WARNING
Read and always observe information and warnings concerning the use of
child seats ⇒ in “Safety notes on using child seats” on page 48.
Fig. 27 A group 0 rear-
facing child seat fitted on
the rear seat.
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Child safety
50Group 1 child seats
A suitable child seat and a corr ectly adjusted seat belt can
help to protect your child.Child seats using the “ISOFIX” system or seats in which the child faces the
rear of the car are most appropriate for babies and small children weighing
between 9 and 18 kg.
Follow the manufacturer's instructions and observe any statutory require-
ments when installing and using child seats.
We recommend that you include the manufacturer's directions for child seat
use in the vehicle wallet and always keep them in the vehicle.
WARNING
Read and always observe information and warnings concerning the use of
child seats ⇒ in “Safety notes on using child seats” on page 48.
Group 2 and 3 child seats
A suitable child seat and a corr ectly adjusted seat belt can
help to protect your child.Follow the manufacturer's instructions and observe any statutory require-
ments when installing and using child seats.
We recommend that you include the manu facturer's directions for child seat
use in the vehicle wallet and always keep them in the vehicle.
Group 2 child seats
Children under 7 years of age weighing between 15 and 25 kg are best
protected by group 2 child seats in conjunction with properly adjusted seat
belts.
Group 3 child seats
Children over 7 years of age weighing between 22 and 36 kg but less than
1.5 metres tall are best protected by seat cushions with head restraints in
conjunction with properly worn seat belts ⇒fig. 29 .
Fig. 28 A category 1
forward-facing child seat
fitted on the rear seat.
Fig. 29 Forward-facing
child seat installed on rear
seat.
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Child safety51
Safety First
Operating instructions
Tips and Maintenance
Te c h n i c a l D a t a
WARNING
•
The shoulder part of the seat belt mu st lie approximately on the centre
of the shoulder, never across the neck or the arm. The seat belt must lie
close to the torso. The lap belt part must lie across the pelvis, not across the stomach, and always fit closely. Pull the belt tight if necessary to take
up any slack ⇒
page 24, “Seat belts”.
•
Read and always observe information and warnings concerning the use
of child seats ⇒ in “Safety notes on using child seats” on page 48.
Securing child seatsWays to secure a child seat
A child seat can be secured differently on th e rear seat and on the front passenger seat.You can secure a child seat to the rear seat or front passenger seat in the
following ways:
•
Child seats in groups 0 to 3 can be secured with a seat belt.
•
Group 0, 0+ and 1 child seats with the “ISOFIX” system can be secured to
the “ISOFIX” retaining rings without seat belts ⇒ page 52.
U: Suitable for approved universal retention systems for use with this age group (universal retention systems, ar e those that can be fitted using the
standard adult safety belt)
*: Move the passenger seat as far back as possible, to the highest setting and always turn the airbag off. L: Suitable for anchored retention systems using the “ISOFIX” anchors.WARNING (continued)
Weight class
Weight Seat locations
Front passenger Rear outerRear centre
Group 0 <10 kgU*U/L U
Group 0+ <13 kgU*U/L U
Group 1 9-18 kgU*U/L U
Group 2 / 3 15-36 kgU*UU
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Child safety
52
WARNING
•
When travelling, children must be secured in the vehicle with a
restraint system suitable for age, weight and size.
•
Never install a rear-facing child seat on the front passenger seat unless
the front passenger airbag has been disabled. Risk of potentially fatal inju-
ries to the child! If it is necessary in exceptional cases to transport a child
on the front passenger seat, you must always disable the front passenger
airbag ⇒ page 45, “Deactivating airbags*”.
•
Read and always observe information and warnings concerning the use
of child seats ⇒ in “Safety notes on using child seats” on page 48.
Securing child seat with the “ISOFIX” system
The child seat can be secured quickly, easily and safely on the
rear outer seats using the “ISOFIX” system.
When removing or fitting the child seat, please be sure to follow the
manufacturer's instructions.
– Press the child seat onto the “ISOFIX” retaining rings until the
child seat can be heard to engage securely.
– Pull on both sides of the child seat to ensure that it is secure.Two “ISOFIX” retaining rings are fitted to each outside rear seat and the front
passenger seat. The “ISOFIX” retaining rings are attached to the body of the
car.
The “ISOFIX” system retaining rings may be found by locating the label on the
seat.
Child seats with “ISOFIX” mountings are available from the Authorised
Service Centres.
WARNING
•
The retaining rings are designed only for use with “ISOFIX” child seats.
•
Never secure child seats without the “ISOFIX” system, retaining belts
or objects to the fastening rings – this c an result in potentially fatal injuries
to the child!
•
Ensure that the child seat is se cured correctly using the “ISOFIX”
anchors.
Fig. 30 ISOFIX securing
rings
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Cockpit73
Safety First
Operating instructions
Tips and Maintenance
Te c h n i c a l D a t a
WARNING
•
Failure to observe warning lamps and warning messages can result in
serious personal injury or damage to your vehicle.
•
The risk of an accident increases if your vehicle breaks down. Use a
warning triangle to draw the attention of other road users to your
stationary vehicle so that it does not represent a danger.
Fasten seat belts! ⇒page 19
Tyre pressure ⇒page 78
Engine fault (petrol engine) ⇒page 79
Glow plug system (diesel engine)
Lit up: Glow plug system switched on
Flashing: engine fault. ⇒
page 80
Airbag or belt tension device system fault or airbag disabled ⇒page 28
Fault in the emission control system ⇒page 80
Flashing: electronic stabilisation programme (ESP) in opera-
tion,
Lit up: ESP fault or switched off ⇒
page 80
Operate foot brake ⇒page 80
Electromechanical steering ⇒page 81
Brake pad wear indicator ⇒page 81
Door open indicator ⇒page 81
SAFE Electronic immobiliser ⇒page 81
Item
Symbol Meaning of warning and control lamps Further information
A15A16A17A17A18A19A20A21A22A23A24
WARNING (continued)
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Seats and stowage123
Safety First
Operating instructions
Tips and Maintenance
Te c h n i c a l D a t a
Seats and stowageThe importance of correct seat adjustmentProper seat adjustment optimi ses the level of protection
offered by seat belts and airbags.Your vehicle has five passenger places, two individual front seats and three
places on the rear seat. Each seat is equipped with a three-point seat belt.
The driver seat and front passenger seat can be adjusted in many ways to suit
the physical requirements of the vehicle occupants. The correct seat position
is very important for:•
fast and easy operation of all controls on the instrument panel,
•
relaxed posture that does not cause drowsiness,
•
safe driving ⇒ page 7,
•
and to ensure that the seat belts and airbag system provide maximum
protection ⇒page 19.
WARNING
•
If the driver and passengers assume improper sitting positions, they
may sustain critical injuries.
•
Never transport more people than there are seats available in the
vehicle.
•
Every occupant in the vehicle must properly fasten and wear the seat
belt belonging to his or her seat. Children must be protected with an appro-
priate child restraint system ⇒page 47, “Child safety”.
•
The front seats and all head restraints must always be adjusted to body
size and the seat belt must always be properly adjusted to provide you and
your passengers with optimum protection.
•
Always keep your feet in the foot well when the vehicle is moving; never
rest them on the dash panel, out of the window or on the seat. This also
applies to passengers. An incorrect sitting position exposes you to an
increased risk of injury in the event of a braking manoeuvre or an accident.
If the airbag is triggered, you could sustain severe injuries due to an incor-
rect sitting position.
•
It is important for the driver and front passenger to maintain a distance
of at least 25 cm from the steering wheel or dash panel. Failure to respect
the minimum distance means that the airbag will not protect you. Risk of
fatal injury. The distance between the driver and the steering wheel or
between the front passenger and the dash panel should always be as great
as possible.
•
Adjust the driver or front passenger seat only when the vehicle is
stationary. Otherwise your seat coul d move unexpectedly while the vehicle
is moving. This could increase the risk of an accident and therefore injury.
In addition, while adjusting your seat, you will assume an incorrect sitting
position. Risk of fatal accidents.
•
Special guidelines apply to installing a child seat on the front
passenger seat. When installing a child seat, observe the warning note in
the ⇒page 47, “Child safety”.WARNING (continued)
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Seats and stowage
124Head restraintsCorrect adjustment of head restraints
Properly adjusted head restraints are an important part of
occupant protection and can redu ce the risk of injuries in
most accident situations.
– Adjust the head restraint so that its upper edge is at the same
level as the top of your head, or as close as possible to the same
level as the top of your head and, as a very minimum at eye level
⇒fig. 87 and ⇒fig. 88 .Adjusting the head restraints ⇒page 125.
WARNING
•
Travelling with the head restraints removed or improperly adjusted
increases the risk of severe injuries.
•
Improperly adjusted head restraints could lead to death in the event of
a collision or accident.
•
Incorrectly adjusted head restraints also increase the risk of injury
during sudden or unexpected driving or braking manoeuvres.
•
The head restraints must always be adjusted according to the occu-
pant's size.
Fig. 87 Viewed from in
front: Properly adjusted
head restraints and
proper belt adjustment
Fig. 88 Viewed from side:
Properly adjusted head
restraints and proper belt
adjustment
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