immediately inform Transport Canada in addition to notifying Volvo Cars of Canada Corp.
To contact Transport Canada, call (800) 333- 0510, or (613) 993-9851 if you are calling from the Ottawa region.
14 01 Safety
Safety in the passenger compartment
Seat belts
Using seat belts
Volvo, the inventor of the three-point seat belt, urges you and all occupants of your vehicle to wear seat belts and
ensure that children are properly restrained, using an infant, convertible, or booster seat determined by age, weight and
height.
Volvo also believes no child should sit in the front seat of a vehicle.
Most states and provinces make it mandatory for occupants of a vehicle to use seat belts.
Seat belt tensioners
All seat belts are equipped with tensioners that reduce slack in the belts. These tensioners are triggered in situations
where the front airbags deploy. The front seat belts also include a tension reducing device which, in the event of a
collision, limits the peak forces exerted by the seat belt on the occupant.
Buckling a seat belt
Pull the belt out far enough to insert the latch plate into the receptacle until a distinct click is heard. The seat belt
retractor is normally "unlocked" and you can move freely, provided that the shoulder belt is not pulled out too far.
The retractor will lock up as follows:
if the belt is pulled out rapidly
during braking and acceleration
if the vehicle is leaning excessively
when driving in turns.
To make child seat installation easier, each seat belt (except for the driver's belt) is equipped with a locking mechanism
to help keep the seat belt taut. See page 31
for more information regarding the Automatic Locking Retractor (ALR).
When wearing the seat belt remember:
The belt should not be twisted or turned.
The lap section of the belt must be positioned low on the hips (not pressing against the abdomen).
ProCarManuals.com
If the collision involves a nonrigid object (e.g., a snow drift or bush), or a rigid, fixed object at a low speed, the
front airbags will not necessarily deploy.
Front airbags do not normally deploy in a side impact collision, in a collision from the rear or in a rollover situation.
The amount of damage to the bodywork does not reliably indicate if the airbags should have deployed or not.
WARNING
Do not use child safety seats or child booster cushions/backrests in the front passenger's seat. We also recommend
that occupants under 4 feet 7 inches (140 cm) in height who have outgrown these devices sit in the rear seat with the
seat belt fastened
1.
Never drive with the airbags deployed. The fact that they hang out can impair the steering of your vehicle. Other
safety systems can also be damaged.
The smoke and dust formed when the airbags are deployed can cause skin and eye irritation in the event of
prolonged exposure.
1See also the Occupant Weight Sensor information on page 21.
Should you have questions about any component in the SRS system, please contact a trained and qualified Volvo
service technician or Volvo Customer Support:
In the USA
Volvo Cars of North America, LLC
Customer Care Center
P.O. Box 914 Rockleigh, New Jersey 07647-0914
1-800-458-1552
www.volvocars.us
In Canada
Volvo Cars of Canada Corp.
National Customer Service
175 Gordon Baker Road
North York, Ontario M2H 2N7
1-800-663-8255
www.volvocanada.com
NOTE
Deployment of front airbags occurs only one time during an accident. In a collision where deployment occurs, the
airbags and seat belt tensioners activate. Some noise occurs and a small amount of powder is released. The release of
the powder may appear as smoke-like matter. This is a normal characteristic and does not indicate fire.
Volvo's dual-threshold, dual-stage front airbags use special sensors that are integrated with the front seat belt
buckles. The point at which the airbag deploys is determined by whether or not the seat belt is being used, as well as
the severity of the collision.
Collisions can occur where only one of the airbags deploys. If the impact is less severe, but severe enough to
present a clear injury risk, the dual-stage airbags are triggered at 70% of their total capacity. If the impact is more
severe, the dual-stage airbags are triggered at full capacity.
20 01 Safety
Safety in the passenger compartment
ProCarManuals.com
29 01 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
seating positions than front seating positions when properly restrained. A child restraint system can help protect a child
in a vehicle. Here's what to look for when selecting a child restraint system:
It should have a label certifying that it meets applicable Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards (FMVSS 213) - or in
Canada, CMVSS 213.
Make sure the child restraint system is approved for the child's height, weight and development - the label required by
the standard or regulation, or instructions for infant restraints, typically provide this information.
In using any child restraint system, we urge you to carefully look over the instructions that are provided with the
restraint. Be sure you understand them and can use the device properly and safely in this vehicle. A misused child
restraint system can result in increased injuries for both the infant or child and other occupants in the vehicle.
When a child has outgrown the child safety seat, you should use the rear seat with the standard seat belt fastened. The
best way to help protect the child here is to place the child on a cushion so that the seat belt is properly located on the
hips (see the illustration on page 39
). Legislation in your state or province may mandate the use of a child seat or
cushion in combination with the seat belt, depending on the child's age and/or size. Please check local regulations.
A specially designed and tested booster cushion (not available in Canada) can be obtained from your Volvo retailer for
children weighing 33 - 80 lb. (15 - 36 kg) and 38-54 inches (97 - 137 cm) in height.
30 01 Safety
Child safety
WARNING
ProCarManuals.com
Do not use child safety seats or child booster cushions/backrests in the front passenger's seat. We also recommend
that children under 4 feet 7 inches (140 cm) in height who have outgrown these devices sit in the rear seat with the
seat belt fastened.
Keep vehicle doors and trunk locked and keep remote controls out of a child's reach. Unsupervised children could
lock themselves in an open trunk and risk injury. Children should be taught not to play in vehicles.
On hot days, the temperature in the trunk or vehicle interior can rise very quickly. Exposure to these high
temperatures for even a short period of time can cause heat-related injury or death. Small children are particularly at
risk.
31 01 Safety
Child safety
Automatic Locking Retractor/Emergency Locking Retractor
To make child seat installation easier, each seat belt (except for the driver's belt) is equipped with a locking mechanism
to help keep the seat belt taut.
When attaching the seat belt to a child seat:
1. Attach the seat belt to the child seat according to the child seat manufacturer's instructions.
2. Pull the seat belt out as far as possible.
3. Insert the seat belt latch plate into the buckle (lock) in the usual way.
4. Release the seat belt and pull it taut around the child seat.
A sound from the seat belt retractor will be audible at this time and is normal. The belt will now be locked in place.
This function is automatically disabled when the seat belt is unlocked and the belt is fully retracted.
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.
ProCarManuals.com
Use this booster cushion only with children who weigh between 33 and 80 lbs (15 and 36 kg) and whose height is
between 38 and 54 in (97 and 137 cm). In Canada, Transport Canada's weight recommendation is 40-80 lbs (18-
36 kg).
The booster cushion is designed to raise the child higher, so that the shoulder strap crosses over the child's collarbone,
not over the child's neck. If using a booster cushion does not result in proper positioning of the shoulder strap, then the
child should be placed in a properly secured child restraint (see the information beginning on page 32
). The shoulder
belt must never be placed behind the child's back or under the arm.
1Canada only: This cushion may be referred to as a built- in booster cushion.
43 01 Safety
Integrated booster cushion
Using the integrated booster cushion
Fold down the booster cushion from the rear seat backrest.
Loosen the Velcro strip.
Fold up the backrest section of the booster cushion into the upright position.
Stowing the integrated booster cushion
ProCarManuals.com
Fold down the backrest section of the booster cushion.
Fasten the Velcro strip.
Fold up the booster cushion into the rear seat backrest
NOTE
See also the instructions on the integrated booster cushion.
44 01 Safety
Integrated booster cushion
WARNING
DEATH or SERIOUS INJURY can occur
Follow all instructions on the booster cushion and in the vehicle's owner's manual.
MAKE SURE THE BOOSTER CUSHION IS SECURELY LOCKED BEFORE THE CHILD IS SEATED.
Use this booster cushion only with children who weigh between 33 and 80 lbs (15 and 36 kg) and whose height is
between 38 and 54 in (97 and 137 cm). In Canada, Transport Canada's weight recommendation is 40-80 lbs (18-36
kg).
ProCarManuals.com
WARNING
When the backrest is returned to the upright position, check that it is properly locked in place. Return the head
restraints to the upright position.
Long loads should always be securely anchored to help avoid injury in the event of a sudden stop.
Always turn the engine off and apply the parking brake when loading/unloading the vehicle.
Place the transmission in the (P)ark position to help prevent inadvertent movement of the gear selector.
The vehicle features a 60/40 split fold-down rear seat. The backrest(s) can be folded down by pulling the release
control handles inside the trunk.
Rear center head restraint
The center head restraint should be adjusted according to the passenger's height. The restraint should be carefully
adjusted to support the occupant's head.
Pull the head restraint up as required. To lower, press the button at the base of the head restraint's left support while
pressing the head restrain down.
81 03 Your driving environment
Seats
WARNING
Please note that the lowest head restraint position is only intended for use when the backrest is to be folded down,
or when the seat is not occupied.
The head restraint is intended to help protect the head/neck in a collision. Ensure that it is properly adjusted for
the occupant of the seat.
Automatically lowering the rear seat's outboard head restraints
ProCarManuals.com
1. The ignition must be in mode I or II.
2. Press the button to lower the rear head restraints for improved visibility.
NOTE
The head restraint must be returned to the upright position manually.
The outboard head restraints cannot be folded down on models that are not equipped with this button.
WARNING
For safety reasons, no one should be allowed to sit in the outboard rear seat positions if the head restraints are folded
down. If these positions are occupied, the head restraints should be in the upright (fixed) position.
82 03 Your driving environment
Steering wheel
Adjusting
The steering wheel can be adjusted for both height and reach:
1. Pull the lever
toward you to release the steering wheel.
2. Adjust the steering wheel to the position
that suits you.
3. Push back the lever
to fix the steering wheel in place. If the lever is difficult to push into place, press the steering
wheel lightly at the same time as you push the lever.
WARNING
Never adjust the steering wheel while driving.
With speed-dependent power steering (option) the level of steering force can be adjusted, see page 141
.
Keypads
ProCarManuals.com