2 0 0 7
VOLVO S60
Safety
pg. 9 Safety
Occupant safety, Reporting safety defects 10
Seat belts12
Supplemental Restraint System (SRS)15
Front airbags16
Occupant Weight Sensor (OWS)20
Side impact protection (SIPS) airbags24
Volvo Inflatable Curtain (VIC)25
Whiplash Protection System (WHIPS)26
Child safety28
Child restraint systems31
Infant seats33
Convertible seats35
Booster cushions37
ISOFIX lower anchors38
Top tether anchors39
pg. 10 Safety
Occupant safety, Reporting safety defects
Volvo concern for safety
Safety is the Volvo cornerstone. Our concern dates back to 1927 when the first Volvo rolled off the production line.
Three-point seat belts (a Volvo invention), safety cages, and energy-absorbing impact zones were designed into Volvo
vehicles long before it was fashionable or required by government regulation. We will not compromise our
commitment to safety. We continue to seek out new safety features and to refine those already in our vehicles. You
can help. We would appreciate hearing your suggestions about improving automobile safety. We also want to know if
you ever have a safety concern with your vehicle. Call us in the U.S. at: 800-458-1552 or in Canada at: 800-663-8255.
Occupant safety
How safely you drive doesn't depend on how old you are but rather on:
How well you see.
Your ability to concentrate.
How quickly you make decisions under stress to avoid an accident.
The tips listed below are suggestions to help you cope with the ever changing traffic environment.
ProCarManuals.com
WARNING!
Boxes, suitcases, etc. wedged behind the front seats could impede the function of the WHIPS system.
If the rear seat backrests are folded down, cargo must be secured to prevent it from sliding forward against the
front seat backrests in the event of a collision from the rear. This could interfere with the action of the WHIPS
system.
If your vehicle has been involved in a rear-end collision, the front seat backrests must be inspected by a trained
and qualified Volvo service technician, even if the seats appear to be undamaged. Certain components in the WHIPS
system may need to be replaced.
Do not attempt to service any component in the WHIPS system yourself.
Any contact between the front seat backrests and the folded rear seat could impede the function of the WHIPS
system. If the rear seat is folded down, the occupied front seats must be adjusted forward so that they do not touch
the folded rear seat.
pg. 28 Safety
Child safety
Children should be seated safely
Volvo recommends the proper use of restraint systems for all occupants including children. Remember that, regardless
of age and size, a child should always be properly restrained in a vehicle.
Your vehicle is also equipped with ISOFIX/ LATCH attachments, which make it more convenient to install child
seats.
Some restraint systems for children are designed to be secured in the vehicle by lap belts or the lap portion of a lap-
shoulder belt. Such child restraint systems can help protect children in vehicles in the event of an accident only if they
are used properly. However, children could be endangered in a crash if the child restraints are not properly secured in
the vehicle. Failure to follow the installation instructions for your child restraint can result in your child striking the
vehicle's interior in a sudden stop.
Holding a child in your arms is NOT a suitable substitute for a child restraint system. In an accident, a child held in a
person's arms can be crushed between the vehicle's interior and an unrestrained person. The child could also be injured
by striking the interior, or by being ejected from the vehicle during a sudden maneuver or impact. The same can also
happen if the infant or child rides unrestrained on the seat. Other occupants should also be properly restrained to help
reduce the chance of injuring or increasing the injury of a child.
All states and provinces have legislation governing how and where children should be carried in a vehicle. Find out
the regulations existing in your state or province. Recent accident statistics have shown that children are safer in rear
ProCarManuals.com
WARNING!
Do not use child safety seats or child booster cushions/backrests in the front passenger's seat. We also recommend
that children who have outgrown these devices sit in the rear seat with the seat belt properly fastened.
Volvo's recommendations
Why does Volvo believe that no child should sit in the front seat of a vehicle? It's quite simple really. A front airbag is
a very powerful device designed, by law, to help protect an adult.
Because of the size of the airbag and its speed of inflation, a child should never be placed in the front seat, even if he
or she is properly belted or strapped into a child safety seat. Volvo has been an innovator in safety for over seventy-
five years, and we'll continue to do our part. But we need your help. Please remember to put your children in the back
seat, and buckle them up.
Volvo has some very specific recommendations:
Always wear your seat belt.
Airbags are a SUPPLEMENTAL safety device which, when used with a three-point seat belt can help reduce
serious injuries during certain types of accidents. Volvo recommends that you do not disconnect the airbag system in
your vehicle.
Volvo strongly recommends that everyone in the vehicle be properly restrained.
Volvo recommends that ALL occupants (adults and children) shorter than 4 feet 7 inches (140 cm) be seated in the
back seat of any vehicle with a front passenger side airbag.
Drive safely!
pg. 31 Safety
Child restraint systems
Child restraints
There are three main types of child restraint systems: infant seats, convertible seats, and booster cushions. They are
classified according to the child's age and size. The following section provides general information on securing a
child restraint using a three-point seat belt. Refer to pages 39-40
for information on securing a child restraint using
ISOFIX lower anchors and/or top tether anchorages.
ProCarManuals.com
pg. 33 Safety
Infant seats
Securing an infant seat with a seat belt
NOTE: Refer to pages 38-39
for information on securing a child restraint using ISOFIX lower anchors and/or top
tether anchorages.
1. Place the infant seat in the rear seat of the vehicle.
2. Attach the seat belt to the infant seat according to the manufacturer's instructions.
3. Fasten the seat belt by inserting the latch plate into the buckle (lock) until a distinct click is audible.
WARNING!
An infant seat must be in the rear-facing position only.
The infant seat should not be positioned behind the driver's seat unless there is adequate space for safe installation.
ProCarManuals.com
6. Push and pull the infant seat to ensure that it is held securely in place by the seat belt.
WARNING!
It should not be possible to move the child restraint more than 1 in. (2.5 cm) in any direction.
The infant seat can be removed by unbuckling the seat belt and letting it retract completely.
pg. 35 Safety
Convertible seats
Securing a convertible seat with a seat belt
NOTE: Refer to pages 38-39
for information on securing a child restraint using ISOFIX lower anchors and/or top
tether anchorages. Convertible seats can be used in either a forward or rearward-facing position, depending on the age
and size of the child.
ProCarManuals.com
Securing a booster cushion
1. Booster cushions are recommended for children who have outgrown convertible seats.
2. Place the booster cushion in the rear seat of the vehicle.
3. With the child properly seated on the booster cushion, attach the seat belt to or around the cushion according to the
manufacturer's instructions.
Fasten the seat belt by inserting the latch plate into the buckle (lock) until a distinct click is audible.
4. Ensure that the seat belt is pulled taut and fits snugly around the child.
WARNING!
The hip section of the three-point seat belt must fit snugly across the child's hips, not across the stomach.
The shoulder section of the three-point seat belt should be positioned across the chest and shoulder.
The shoulder belt must never be placed behind the child's back or under the arm.
pg. 38 Safety
ISOFIX lower anchors
ProCarManuals.com
Using the ISOFIX lower child seat anchors
Lower anchors for ISOFIX-equipped child seats are located in the rear, outboard seats, hidden below the backrest
cushions. Symbols on the seat back upholstery mark the anchor positions (see the illustration above).
To access the anchors:
1. Put the child restraint in position.
2. Kneel on the child restraint to press down the seat cushion and locate the anchors by feel.
3. Fasten the attachment on the child restraint's lower straps to the ISOFIX lower anchors.
4. Firmly tension the lower child seat straps according to the manufacturer's instructions.
NOTE:
The rear seat's center position is not equipped with ISOFIX lower anchors. When installing a child restraint in this
position, attach the restraint's top tether strap (if it is so equipped) to the top tether anchorage point (see the
information on page 39
) and secure the restraint with the vehicle's center seat belt (see the information beginning on
page 31
).
Always follow your child seat manufacturer's installation instructions, and use both ISOFIX lower anchors and top
tethers whenever possible.
WARNING!
Be sure to fasten the attachment correctly to the anchor (see the illustration above). If the attachment is not correctly
fastened, the child restraint may not be properly secured in the event of a collision.
pg. 39 Safety
ProCarManuals.com
Top tether anchors
Top tether anchors
Your Volvo is equipped with child restraint top tether anchorages in all rear seat positions.
Using the top tether anchorages
1. Place the child restraint on the rear seat.
2. Route the top tether strap under the head restraint and fasten its attachment to the anchorage.
WARNING!
Be sure to fasten the child tether attachment correctly to the anchor. If it is not correctly fastened, the child seat may
not be properly restrained in the event of a collision.
3. Firmly tension the top tether strap according to the child restraint manufacturer's instructions. Tension the top tether
strap only after the lower anchor straps or the seat belt have been firmly tensioned.
See page 38
for on securing the child restraint to ISOFIX lower anchors.
WARNING!
Never route a top tether strap over the top or around the head restraint. It should always be routed under the head
restraint.
Child restraint anchorages are designed to withstand only those loads imposed by correctly fitted child restraints.
Under no circumstances are they to be used for adult seat belts or harnesses. The anchorages are not able to
withstand excessive forces on them in the event of collision if full harness seat belts or adult seat belts are installed
ProCarManuals.com