Safe driving15
Safety First
Operating instructions
Tips and Maintenance
Te c h n i c a l D a t a
WARNING
•
If the pedals are obstructed, you could cause an accident. Risk of
serious injuries.
•
Ensure that the floor mats are always securely attached.
•
Never lay or fit floor mats or other floor coverings over the original floor
mats. This would reduce the pedal area and could obstruct the pedals. Risk
of accident.
Stowing luggageLoading the luggage compartment
All luggage and other loose object s must be safely secured in
the luggage compartment.Unsecured objects which shift back and forth could affect safety or
driving characteristics of the vehicle by shifting the centre of gravity.
– Distribute the load evenly in the luggage compartment.
– Lay and stow heavy luggage as far forward as possible in the luggage compartment.
– Stow heavy luggage as low as possible in the luggage compart- ment.
WARNING
•
Loose luggage and other objects in the luggage compartment can
cause serious injuries.
•
Always put objects in the luggage compartment.
•
During sudden manoeuvres or accidents, loose objects can be thrown
forward, injuring vehicle occupants or even to third parties. This increased
risk of injury will be further increased if a loose object is struck by an
inflating airbag. If this happens, objects can be transformed into
“missiles”. Risk of fatal injury.
•
Please note that the centre of gravity may shift when transporting
heavy objects; this may affect the vehicle’s handling and lead to an acci-
dent. Therefore, it is essential to adjust your speed and driving style
accordingly, to avoid accidents.
•
Never exceed the allowed axle loads or allowed maximum weight. If the
allowed axle load or the allowed total weight is exceeded, the driving char-
acteristics of the vehicle may change, leading to accidents, injuries and
damage to the vehicle.
•
Never leave your vehicle unattended, especially when the tailgate is
open. Children could climb into the luggage compartment closing the door
behind them; they will remain trapped without help and there is a mortal
risk.
•
Never allow children to play in or around the vehicle. Close and lock
both the tailgate and all the doors when you leave the vehicle. Before you
lock the vehicle, make sure that ther e are no adults or children in the
vehicle.
•
Never transport passengers in the luggage compartment. Every
passenger must be properly belted in ⇒ page 16.Note
•
Air circulation in the vehicle helps reduce fogging of the windows. Used
air escapes through ventilation slits in the side trim of the luggage compart-
ment. Ensure that the ventil ation slits are never covered.WARNING (continued)
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Seat belts
18Why wear seat belts?Frontal collisions and the laws of physics
In the event of a frontal collision, a large amount of kinetic
energy is generated .
The action of the laws of physics in the case of a frontal collision may be
explained in the following way: As the vehicle moves ⇒ fig. 6 the vehicle and
the passengers alike accumulate a stor ed energy called “kinetic energy”.
The amount of “kinetic energy” depends on the speed of the vehicle and the
weight of the vehicle and passengers. The higher the speed and the greater
the weight, the more energy there is to be “released” in an accident.
The most significant factor, however, is the speed of the vehicle. If the speed
doubles from 25 km/h to 50 km/h, for example, the kinetic energy increases
by a factor of four.
Because the passengers in our example ar e not restrained by seat belts, the
entire amount of kinetic energy has to be absorbed at the point of impact
⇒ fig. 7 .
Even at speeds of 30 km/h to 50 km/h, the forces acting on bodies in a colli-
sion can easily exceed one tonne (1,000 kg). At greater speed these forces
are even higher.
Passengers not wearing seat belts are not “attached” to the vehicle. In a
frontal collision they will continue to move forward at the speed their vehicle
Fig. 6 Passengers of a
vehicle heading for a brick
wall. They are not wearing
seat belts.
Fig. 7 The vehicle with
unbelted occupants
strikes the wall.
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Airbag system
26Airbag systemBrief introductionWhy wear a seat belt and assume the correct sitting position?
For the inflating airbags to achieve the best protection, the
sea t b el t m u st al w ay s b e w o rn p ro p e rly a nd t h e co rrec t s i tt i n g
position must be assumed.For your own safety and the safety of the passengers, please ensure
the following before you drive:
– Always wear the seat belt properly ⇒page 16.
– Adjust the driver seat and the steering wheel correctly ⇒page 9.
– Adjust the front passenger seat correctly ⇒page 10.
– Adjust the head restraint seat correctly ⇒page 12.
– Use the correct child restraint system to protect children in your vehicle ⇒page 41.The airbag deploys in fractions of a second and with a high velocity. If you
have assumed an incorrect seating po sition at that moment, you could
sustain critical injuries. Therefore, it is essential that all occupants maintain
a correct sitting position while travelling.
Braking heavily the moment before an accident may cause an occupant not
wearing a seat belt to be thrown forwar d into the area of the deploying airbag. In this case, the inflating airbag may infl
ict critical or fatal injuries upon the
occupant. This applies particularly to children.
Always maintain the greatest possible distance between yourself and the
front airbag. This way, the front airbags can completely deploy when trig-
gered, providing their maximum protection.
The most important factors for triggering the airbag are the type of accident,
the angle of impact and the vehicle speed.
Whether the airbags are triggered depends primarily on the vehicle deceler-
ation rate resulting from the collision an d detected by the control unit. If the
vehicle deceleration occurring duri ng the collision and measured by the
control unit remains below the specifie d reference values, the front, side
and/or curtain airbag will not be triggered. Take into account that the visible
damage in a vehicle following an accident, for whatever reason, are not an
indication as to why the airbags were triggered.
WARNING
•
Wearing the seat belt incorrectly or assuming an incorrect sitting posi-
tion can lead to critical or fatal injuries.
•
All occupants, including children, who are not properly belted can
sustain critical or fatal injuries if the airbag is triggered. You should always
transport all children up to 12 years of age on the rear seat. Never transport
children in the vehicle if they are not restrained or the restraint system is
not appropriate for their age, size or weight.
•
If you are not wearing a seat belt or if you lean forward or to the side or
assume an incorrect sitting position, the risk of injury is increased
substantially. This increased risk of injury will be further increased if you
are struck by an inflating airbag.
•
To reduce the risk of injury from an inflating airbag, always wear the
seat belt properly ⇒ page 16.
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Airbag system35
Safety First
Operating instructions
Tips and Maintenance
Te c h n i c a l D a t a
Safety notes on the operation of the side airbag system
I f a i r b a g s a re u s e d c o r r e c t l y , t h e y c a n c o n s i d e ra b l y re d u c e t h e
risk of injury in side impact collisions.
WARNING
•
If you do not wear a seat belt, if you lean forward, or are not seated
correctly while the vehicle is in motion , you are at greater risk of injury
should the side airbag system be triggered in an accident.
•
In order for the side airbags to provide their maximum protection, the
prescribed sitting position must alwa ys be maintained with seat belts
fastened while travelling.
•
Occupants of the outer seats must never carry any objects or pets in the
deployment space between them and th e airbags, or allow children or
other passengers to travel in this position. It is also important not to attach
any accessories (such as cup holders) to the doors. This would impair the
protection offered by the side airbags.
•
The built-in coat hooks should be used only for lightweight clothing. Do
not leave any heavy or sharp-edged objects in the pockets.
•
Great forces, such as hard blows or kicks, must not be exerted upon the
backrest bolster because the system may be damaged. In this case the side
airbags would not be triggered.
•
Under no circumstances should protective covers be fitted over the
driver seat or front passenger seat unless the covers have been expressly
approved for use in your vehicle. Because the airbag deploys from the side
of the backrest, the use of non-approved seat covers would obstruct the
side airbag seriously reducing the airbag’s effectiveness ⇒page 165,
“Accessories, parts replacement and modifications”.
•
Any damage to the original seat uphol stery or around the seams of the
side airbag units must be repaired immediately by a qualified workshop.
•
The airbags provide protection for one accident only, if they have been
deployed they must be replaced.
•
When children assume an incorrect sitting position, they expose them-
selves to an increased risk of injury in the event of an accident. This is
particularly the case if the child is travelling on the front passenger seat
and the airbag system is triggered in an accident; this could have critical
consequences including serious injury or death ⇒page 41, “Child safety”.
•
Any work on the side airbag system or removal and installation of the
airbag components for other repairs (such as removal of the front seat)
should only be performed by a qualif ied workshop. Otherwise, a fault may
be introduced into the operation of the airbag system.
•
Do not attempt to modify components of the airbag system in any way.
•
The side and head airbags are managed through sensors located in the
interior of the front doors. To ensure the correct functioning of the side and
head airbags neither the doors nor the door panels should be modified in
any way (e.g. fitting loudspeakers). If the front door is damaged in any way,
this may affect the correct working of the system. All work carried out on
the front do or must be done in a qualified wo rkshop.WARNING (continued)
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Airbag system
38•
There must be no other persons, animals or objects between the occu-
pants of the outer seats and the deployment space of the curtain airbags
so that the curtain airbag can deploy without restriction and provide the
greatest possible protection. Therefore, sun blinds which have not been
expressly approved for use in your vehicle may not be attached to the side
windows ⇒ page 165, “Accessories, parts replacement and modifica-
tions”.
•
The built-in coat hooks should be used only for lightweight clothing. Do
not leave any heavy or sharp-edged objects in the pockets. When using the
coat hooks, do not hang the clothes on coat hangers.
•
The airbags provide protection for one accident only, if they have been
deployed they must be replaced.
•
Any work on the curtain airbag system or removal and installation of
the airbag components for other repairs (such as removal of the roof lining)
should only be performed by a qualified workshop. Otherwise, a fault may
be introduced into the operation of the airbag system.
•
Do not attempt to modify components of the airbag system in any way.
•
The side and head airbags are managed through sensors located in the
interior of the front doors. To ensure the correct functioning of the side and
head airbags neither the doors nor the door panels should be modified in
any way (e.g. fitting loudspeakers). If the front door is damaged in any way,
this may affect the correct working of the system. All work carried out on
the front door must be done in a qualified workshop.WARNING (continued)
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Child safety41
Safety First
Operating instructions
Tips and Maintenance
Te c h n i c a l D a t a
Child safetyBrief introductionIntroduction
Statistics show that children are generally safer on the rear
seat than on the front passenger seat.We recommend that children under 12 years of age be transported on the rear
seats. Children travelling on the rear seat must use a child restraint system or
the seat belts provided, depending on their age, height and weight. For
safety reasons, the child restraint system should be installed in the centre of
the rear seat or behind the front passenger’s seat.
The physical principles involved and the forces acting in a collision apply to
children just as much as adults ⇒page 18, “Why wear seat belts?”. But
unlike adults, children do not have fully developed muscle and bone struc-
tures. This means that children are subject to a greater risk of injury.
To reduce this risk, children must always use special child restraint systems
when travelling in the vehicle.
We recommend the use of child safety products from the SEAT Genuine Acces-
sories programme including systems for all ages made by “Peke”
1).
These systems have been especially designed and approved, complying with
the ECE-R44. regulation.
Follow the manufacturer’s instructions and observe any statutory require-
ments when installing and using child seats. Always read and observe
⇒ page 41, “Safety notes on 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.
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
– Always ensure that the belt webbing is properly positioned
according to the instructions provided 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 39, “Deactivating
1)Not for all countries
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Child safety43
Safety First
Operating instructions
Tips and Maintenance
Te c h n i c a l D a t a
Group 0 and 0+ child seats
A suitable child seat and a correctly 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 illustration ⇒fig. 26.
Group 0+: For babies from about 18 months old and 13 kg in weight the most
suitable seats are those appearing in the illustration ⇒fig. 26.
Follow the manufacturer’s instructions and observe any statutory require-
ments when installing and using child seats.
We recommend that you include the manufa cturer’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 41.
Group 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” and “Toptether” system (or even the anti-rota-
tion 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 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 41.
Fig. 26 A group 0 rear-
facing child seat fitted on
the rear seat.
Fig. 27 A category 1
forward-facing child seat
fitted on the rear seat.
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Child safety45
Safety First
Operating instructions
Tips and Maintenance
Te c h n i c a l D a t a
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 46.
U: Suitable for universal approved rest raining systems for use in this age
category (universal retention systems are those fitted using the adult
seat belt.
UF Suitable for universal forward-facing retention systems approved for use with this age group.
*: Move the passenger seat as far to rear as possible, as high as possible and always deactivate the airbag.
L: Suitable for retention systems us ing the “ISOFIX” and “Toptether”
anchors or antirotation mechanism/bracket
X Seat position not suitable for children in this age group.
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 39, “Deactivating airbags*”
and the seat put into the highest position where possible.
•
Read and always observe information and warnings concerning the use
of child seats ⇒ in “Safety notes on using child seats” on page 41.
Weight class
Weight Seat locations
Front passenger Rear outerRear centre
Group 0 <10 kgU*UU
Group 0+ <13 kgU*UU
Group 1 9-18 kgU*U/L U
Group 2 / 3 15-36 kgXUF UF
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