2007 DODGE SPRINTER Owners Manual

24 SafetyOccupant safety
2
\3 Occupant safetyThis section contains all the most impor-
tant information about the restraint sys-
tems in your vehicle. In an accident, your
vehicle collides with another object, for ex-
ample another vehicle. This may cause
your vehicle to accelerate or decelerate ex-
tremely quickly. During this acceleration or
deceleration, the vehicle occupants will be
moved in the opposite direction to the
force of the impact. There is therefore the
risk of vehicle occupants injuring them-
selves on the vehicle interior or on parts of
the vehicle. The purpose of supplemental
restraint systems, for example the seat
belts supplemented by emergency ten-
sioning retractors, belt force limiters and
airbags when necessary, is to minimize the
risk of injury. However, the seat belts and
airbags cannot generally prevent injuries
caused by objects penetrating the vehicle
from the outside.The most important restraint systems are:
\4the seat belts
\4restraint systems for children, since
they are the most effective means of
reducing the extent to which the occu-
pants are moved in the event of an ac-
cident
Additional protection is provided by:
\4SRS (S
upplemental R
estraint S
ystem),
comprising:
\4emergency tensioning retractors
\4belt force limiters
\4airbags
Restraint systems
iAn airbag increases the degree of pro-
tection afforded to vehicle occupants
wearing a seat belt and is therefore
only to be considered as an additional
restraint system to the seat belt. Air-
bags do not in any way relieve any vehi-
cle occupants of the need to wear their
seat belt correctly at all times.
This is partly because an airbag is not
activated in all accident situations be-
cause in some cases it would not pro-
vide any additional protection to that
already afforded by a correctly fas-
tened seat belt.
Furthermore, an activated airbag can
only provide increased protection if the
seat belt is being worn correctly, be-
cause:
\4the belt helps to hold the vehicle
occupant in the best position in re-
lation to the airbag
\4the belt prevents the vehicle occu-
pant from being propelled in the op-
posite direction to the force of
impact, for example in the event of
a head-on collision, and is therefore
better able to reduce the risk of in-
jury

25 Safety
Occupant safety
2
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. In accidents in which an airbag is acti-
vated, the airbag will therefore only of-
fer an increase in the protection
provided by the seat belt, i.e. additional
protection, if the seat belt is worn cor-
rectly.
Warning
G
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 re-
straint 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 trigger
the airbag. For this reason, do not modify
the restraint systems. Do not tamper with
electronic components or their software.
AirbagsWarning
G
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
correctly at all times, have adopted a normal
sitting position and that the seat is posi-
tioned as upright as possible.Seat beltsiIn many countries there are regulations
concerning the use of seat belts and
child restraint systems.
Warning
G
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 intend-
ed protective function. In certain circum-
stances, you could be seriously or even
fatally injured. Make sure, that all occupants
– in particular, expectant mothers – wear
their seat belt correctly at all times.
You must make sure that the belt:
\4is routed as low as possible across your
pelvic area, for example across your hip
joints and not across your abdomen
\4fits closely
\4is not twisted
\4is routed across the middle of your
shoulder
\4is not routed across your neck or under
your arm
\4is pulled tight across the lap by pulling
upwards on the shoulder belt
\2\2

26 SafetyOccupant safety
2
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
fragile objects, especially if these are locat-
ed in or on your clothing, for example eye-
glasses, 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.
A child must never be carried sitting on the
lap of a vehicle occupant. It would not be
possible to restrain the child, and the child
and other vehicle occupants could be seri-
ously or fatally injured in the event of abrupt
braking or an accident.
Persons less than 1.50 m tall or children un-
der 12 years of age cannot wear their seat
belt properly. They therefore require addi-
tional restraint systems on suitable vehicle
seats for protection in an accident. Always
observe the installation instructions issued
by the manufacturer of the child restraint
systems.Warning
G
The seat belt only provides its intended de-
gree of protection if the seat backrest is po-
sitioned as vertically as possible, allowing
the occupant to sit upright. Avoid seat posi-
tions that do not allow the seat belt to be
routed correctly. Therefore, position the
backrest as vertically as possible. Never
drive with the backrest tilted too far back.
You could otherwise be seriously or even fa-
tally injured in the event of an accident or
abrupt braking.
Warning
G
The seat belt cannot perform its protective
function correctly if the seat belt strap or
buckle are dirty or damaged. You should
therefore keep the belt strap and buckle
clean, as otherwise the belt latch plate may
not be able to engage correctly.
Check regularly that the seat belts:
\4are not damaged
\4are not routed over sharp edges
\4are not trapped
The belt strap could otherwise tear in the
event of an accident. You or others could be
seriously or fatally injured.

27 Safety
Occupant safety
2
Wearing seat belts
1Belt sash guide (\2page 28)
2Belt latch plate
3Release button
4Buckle
\1Pull the belt smoothly from the seat
belt reel holder.\1Route the belt over your shoulder.
\1Click belt latch plate 2 into buckle 4.
\1Adjust the belt to the correct height if
necessary.
\1Pull the shoulder section of the belt up-
wards to tighten the belt against your
body if necessary.
Adjusting the belt height
You can adjust the belt height for the fol-
lowing seats:
\4Driver’s seat
\4Outer co-driver’s seat
Always have seats belts that are damaged or
have been subjected to a heavy load in an
accident replaced, and their anchorages
checked, at a qualified specialist workshop
which has the necessary specialist knowl-
edge and tools to carry out the work re-
quired.
The manufacturer recommends that you use
an authorized Sprinter Dealer for this pur-
pose. In particular, work relevant to safety
or on safety-related systems must be car-
ried out at a qualified specialist workshop .
For safety reasons, the manufacturer rec-
ommends that you only use seat belts that
have been specially approved for your vehi-
cle by the manufacturer.
Warning
G
Only adjust the belt height when the vehicle
is stationary and the handbrake is applied.
You could otherwise lose control of the vehi-
cle as a result of the seat adjusting move-
ment and thereby endanger yourself and
others.

28 SafetyOccupant safety
2
Adjust the belt height in such a way that
the shoulder belt is routed over the middle
of the shoulder.Belt sash guide with height adjustment5Release button
\1To raise the belt height: slide belt
sash guide1 upward.
Belt sash guide1 engages in various
positions.
\1To lower the belt height: press and
hold release button 5.\1Slide belt sash guide1 to the desired
height.
\1Let go of release button5 and make
sure that belt sash guide1 engages.
The SRS (S
upplemental R
estraint S
ystem)
may consist of the following components,
depending on the equipment level:
\41 warning lamp
\4Emergency tensioning retractors
\4Belt force limiters
\4Airbag system with:
\4Airbag control unit
\4Airbags1 warning lamp
The SRS performs a self-test at regular in-
tervals when the ignition is switched on
and while the engine is running. Malfunc-
tions can therefore be detected in good
time.
The 1 warning lamp in the instrument
cluster (\2page 14) comes on for approxi-
mately 4 seconds when you switch on the
ignition.
SRS (Supplemental Restraint
System)
Warning
G
A malfunction has occurred if the 1
warning lamp:
\4does not come on when you switch on
the ignition
\4does not go out after approximately 4
seconds
\4lights up again
Individual systems may be activated unin-
tentionally or may not be triggered in the
event of an accident with a high rate of vehi-
cle deceleration.

29 Safety
Occupant safety
2
Activation of emergency tensioning re-
tractors, belt force limiters and airbags
In the event of a collision, the sensor in the
airbag control unit evaluates important
physical data, such as duration, direction
and rate of vehicle deceleration or acceler-
ation. Based on the evaluation of this data
and depending on the vehicle’s rate of lon-
gitudinal deceleration in a collision, in the
first stage, the airbag control unit pre-emp-
tively triggers the emergency tensioning
retractors.The front airbags are not triggered unless a
second activation threshold is exceeded,
i.e. if there is a greater rate of vehicle de-
celeration in a longitudinal direction.
Criteria for triggering of emergency ten-
sioning retractors and airbags
To determine whether it is necessary to
trigger an emergency tensioning retractor
or airbag, the airbag control unit evaluates
the duration and direction of deceleration
or acceleration during the initial phase of
the collision.
The emergency tensioning retractor and
airbag activation thresholds are variable
and are adapted to the rate of the vehicle
deceleration. This process is pre-emptive
in nature as the airbag must be deployed
during – and not at the end of – the colli-
sion.In this case, have the SRS system checked
and repaired immediately at a qualified spe-
cialist workshop which has the necessary
specialist knowledge and tools to carry out
the work required.
The manufacturer recommends that you use
an authorized Sprinter Dealer for this pur-
pose. In particular, work relevant to safety
or on safety-related systems must be car-
ried out at a qualified specialist workshop.
iAirbags are not triggered in all types of
accident. They are actually controlled
by complex sensor technology and
evaluation logic. This process is pre-
emptive in nature as airbag deployment
must take place during the impact and
must be adapted to provide calculated,
additional protection for the vehicle oc-
cupants. Not all airbags are triggered in
an accident.
The various airbag systems work inde-
pendently of each other. However, all
systems depend on the type (head-on
or side impact) and severity (in particu-
lar vehicle deceleration or accelera-
tion) of accident determined in the
initial phase of the accident.

30 SafetyOccupant safety
2
Vehicle deceleration or acceleration and
the direction of the force are essentially
determined by:
\4the distribution of the force during the
impact
\4the collision angle
\4the deformation characteristics of the
vehicle
\4the composition of the object involved
in the collision, for example the other
vehicle
Factors that cannot be seen or measured
until after the collision are not used to de-
termine whether the airbag should be trig-
gered and are not decisive for this.
The vehicle may be substantially deformed
without an airbag being triggered, for exam-
ple if only relatively easily-deformable vehicle
parts such as the hood or fenders are affect-
ed by the collision and the required deceler-
ation threshold is not reached. On the other
hand, airbags may be triggered even though
the vehicle only displays minor deformation,
if, for example, rigid vehicle parts such as a
longitudinal member are affected by the im-
pact, thus causing vehicle deceleration to ex-
ceed the pre-determined threshold. Emergency tensioning retractors, belt
force limiters
If the vehicle is equipped with a driver’s air-
bag, the driver’s and the co-driver’s seat
belts are equipped with emergency ten-
sioning retractors.
A belt force limiter additionally installed in
the seat belt reduces the load exerted by
the seat belt on the occupant when it is
triggered.
Emergency tensioning retractors tension
the seat belts in an accident, pulling them
close against the body. When the ignition is on, the emergency
tensioning retractor is activated:
\4only if the restraint systems are opera-
tional (the 1-warning lamp comes
on for approximately 4 seconds after
the ignition is switched on.)
(\2page 28).
\4in the event of a head-on or rear-end
collision, if there is a high rate of vehi-
cle acceleration or deceleration in the
initial stages of a collision
\4in the event of a side impact, if the ve-
hicle suddenly decelerates or acceler-
ates in a lateral direction at the initial
stage of the impact and the vehicle is
equipped with thorax / sidebags and /
or windowbags.
If the emergency tensioning retractors are
triggered, you will hear a bang that is gen-
erally harmless to your hearing. A small
amount of powder may also be released.
The 1 warning lamp lights up.
iEmergency tensioning retractors do
not correct:
\4incorrect sitting positions
\4incorrectly worn seat belts
Emergency tensioning retractors do
not pull occupants back towards the
backrest.

31 Safety
Occupant safety
2
Warning
G
If the emergency tensioning retractors have
been triggered, have them replaced at a
qualified specialist workshop which has the
necessary specialist knowledge and tools to
carry out the work required.
The manufacturer recommends that you use
an authorized Sprinter Dealer for this pur-
pose. In particular, work relevant to safety
or on safety-related systems must be car-
ried out at a qualified specialist workshop.
Observe the safety regulations when dispos-
ing of emergency tensioning retractors. You
can see a copy of these regulations at any
authorized Sprinter Dealer.
Airbag systemWarning
G
To reduce the risk of serious or fatal injuries
in the event of an accident with a high rate
of deceleration, for example due to an air-
bag inflating within milliseconds, or due to
sudden braking, please observe the follow-
ing points:
\4All vehicle occupants must select a seat
position in which they can wear their
seat belt correctly and which is as far
back from the airbag as possible. The
seat position of the driver must be such
that the vehicle can be driven safely. The
distance from the driver’s seat to the
pedals must be such that the driver can
fully depress the pedals. The distance
between the driver’s chest and the cen-
ter of the airbag cover must be more
than 25 cm. The driver’s arms should be
slightly bent when holding the steering
wheel.
\4Vehicle occupants should wear their
seat belt correctly at all times and lean
back against the backrest, which should
be positioned as upright as possible.
The head restraints should support the
back of the head at about eye level.
\4Move the co-driver’s seat as far to the
rear as possible, especially if a child is
secured in a restraint system installed
on this seat.
\4On vehicles with a co-driver’s airbag, it
is not permitted to secure a rearward-
facing child restraint system to the co-
driver’s seat (\2page 37). Children in a
rearward-facing child restraint system
must be secured on a suitable rear seat.
\4Do not lean forward, for example over
the padded boss of the steering wheel,
especially when the vehicle is in motion.
\4Only hold the steering wheel by the out-
er rim. This allows the airbag to inflate
fully. If you hold the inside of the steer-
ing wheel, you could be injured if the air-
bag were to be triggered.
\2\2