Seat belts149
Using the systemSafetyDriving TipsGeneral MaintenanceBreakdown assistanceTechnical Data
Important safety information regarding 
the use of seat belts
The correct use of the seat belts considerably reduces the 
risk of injury!
WARNING
•The belt webbing must not be jammed in-between at any point 
or twisted, or chafe against any sharp edges.
•It is important that the belt webb ing is properly routed if the seat 
belts are to offer their maximum protection  ⇒page 150, “How are 
seat belts correctly fastened?”.
•No two persons (also not children) should ever use a single seat 
belt together.
•The maximum protection which seat belts can offer is only 
achieved if you are correctly seated  ⇒page 143, “Correct seated 
position”.
•The belt webbing must not run across solid or fragile objects 
(e.g. spectacles, ball-point pens, keys etc.) as this may be a cause 
of injuries.
•Bulky, loose clothing (e.g. a winter coat over a jacket) does not 
allow you to be correctly seated and impairs proper operation of 
the seat belts.
•It is prohibited to use clamps  or other objects to adjust seat 
belts (e.g. for shortening the belts for smaller persons).
•The lock tongue should only be inserted into the lock which is 
the correct one for your seat. Wrong use of the safety belt will 
reduce its capacity to protect and the risk of injury increases.
•The backrests must not be tilted too far to the rear otherwise the 
seatbelts can lose their effectiveness.
•The belt webbing must always be kept clean. Soiled belt 
webbing may impair proper operation of the inertia reel 
⇒ page 204, “Seat belts”.
•The slot of the belt tongue must not be blocked by paper or 
similar objects otherwise the belt tongue will not lock in place prop-
erly.
•Inspect the seat belts regularly to ensure they are in good condi-
tion. If you find seat belts which have damage to the seat belt 
webbing, seat belt connections, to the inertia reels or to the lock, 
the relevant safety belt must be replaced by a specialist garage.
•The seat belts must not be removed or changed in any way. Do 
not make an attempt to repair the seat belts yourself.
•Damaged seat belts which have been subjected to stress in an 
accident and were therefore stretched, must be replaced - this is 
best done by a specialist garage. The anchorage points of the belts 
must also be inspected. The anchorage points for the belts should 
also be checked. 
•In certain countries it is possible to use seat belts which differ 
in terms of their operation from the seat belts which are described 
on the pages which follow.
WARNING (continued)
NKO 20 A05.book  Page 149  Wednesday, June 21, 2006  1:42 PM