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Child safety47
Safety First
Operating instructions
Tips and Maintenance
Te c h n i c a l D a t a
Safety 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 48.
– 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 child seat facing backwards (or rear-facing) on the front
passenger seat unless the front passenger airbag has been disabled. This
represents a risk of fatal injuries to the child! However, if it is necessary, in
exceptional cases, to transport a child in the front passenger seat, the front
passenger airbag must always be disabled ⇒page 44, “Deactivating
airbags*”. If the passenger seat has a height adjustment option, move it to
the highest position.
•
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 flung through the vehicle, causing possibly fatal injuries
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 particularly 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 protection only when the belt web is
properly positioned ⇒page 24, “Seat belts”.
•
Only one child may occupy a child seat ⇒page 48, “Child seats”.WARNING (continued)
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Child safety
48Child 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: to 10 kg
Group 0+ : to 13 kg
Group 1: 9to18kg
Group 2: 15 to 25 kg
Group 3: 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 ol d and 10 kg in weight the most
suitable seats are those appearing in the illustration ⇒fig. 27 .
Group 0+: For babies from about 18 months old and 13 kg in weight the most
suitable seats are those appearing in the illustration.
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.
WARNING
Read and always observe information and warnings concerning the use of
child seats ⇒ page 47.
Fig. 27 A group 0 rear-
facing child seat fitted on
the rear seat.
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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
Group 1 child seats
A suitable child seat and a correctly adjusted seat belt can
help to protect your child.Child seats using the “ISOFIX” and “Top tether” system (or even the antirota-
tion system) or seats in which the chil d 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 ⇒page 47.
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 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.
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 safety
50
WARNING
•
The shoulder part of th e seat belt must 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 ⇒page 47.
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.
•
Child seats from the groups 0, 0+ and 1 using the “ISOFIX” and
“Toptether” systems or the antirotation system may be secured without using
the adult seatbelt and using the “ISOFIX” and “Toptether” anchors or the anti-
rotation mechanism/brackets ⇒page 51.
U: Suitable for universal approved restraining systems for use in this age category (universal retention systems are those fitted using the adult
seat belt.
*: Move the passenger seat as far to rear as possible, as high as possible and always deactivate the airbag. L: Suitable for retention systems using the “ISOFIX” and “Toptether”
anchors or antirotation mechanism/bracket.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 safety51
Safety First
Operating instructions
Tips and Maintenance
Te c h n i c a l D a t a
WARNING
•
When travelling, children must be secured in the vehicle with a
restraint system suitable for age, weight and size.
•
Never install a child seat facing backwards (or rear-facing) on the front
passenger seat unless the front passenger airbag has been disabled. This
represents a risk of fatal injuries to the child! However, if a child must,
under exceptional circumstances, travel in the front passenger seat, the
passenger airbag must be deactivated ⇒page 44, “Deactivating airbags*”
and the seat put into the h ighest position where possible.
•
Read and always observe information and warnings concerning the use
of child seats ⇒page 47.
Securing the child seat using the “ISOFIX” and “Toptether” system or the antirotation mechanism/system.
The child seat with “ISOFIX” system can be secured quickly,
easily and safely on the rear outer seats using the systemWhen removing or fitting the child seat, please be sure to follow the
manufacturer's instructions.
– Move the seat as far to rear as it will go.
– Press the child seat onto the “ISOFIX” retaining rings until the
child seat can be heard to engage securely. If the child seat is
fitted with “Toptether” anchoring, connect it to the corre-
sponding ring. If the child seat is fitted with any other antirota-
tion system, follow the manufacturer instructions carefully.
– Pull on both sides of the child seat to ensure that it is secure.
Fig. 30 ISOFIX securing
rings
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Child safety
52Two “ISOFIX” retaining rings are fitted on each rear seat. In some vehicles, the
rings are secured to the seat frame and in others they are secured to the rear
floor. The “ISOFIX” rings can be accessed between the seat back and the seat
cushion. The “Toptether” rings are located in the rear space in the back. They
are often located on the rear of the seat backs.
Child seats with “ISOFIX” and “Toptether” mountings are available from the
Authorised Service Centres.
WARNING
•
The retaining rings are designed only for use with “ISOFIX” and
“Toptether” systems.
•
Never secure child seats that do not have the “ISOFIX” or “Toptether”
system, retaining belts or objects to the fastening rings – this can result in
potentially fatal injuries to the child!
•
Ensure that the child seat is secured correctly using the “ISOFIX” and
“Toptether” anchors.
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53
Safety First
Operating instructions
Tips and Maintenance
Te c h n i c a l D a t a
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Fig. 31 Instrument panelleon_ingles Seite 54 Donnerstag, 24. August 2006 1:56 13