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2007 Volvo XC70
WARNING!
l The VIC system is a supplement to the Side Impact Protection System. It \
is not designed to deploy
during collisions from the front or rear of the vehicle or in rollover s\
ituations.
l Never try to open or repair any components of the VIC system. This shoul\
d be done only by a
trained and qualified Volvo service technician.
WARNING!
In order for the VIC to provide its best protection, both front seat occ\
upants and both outboard rear
seat occupants should sit in an upright position with the seat belt prop\
erly fastened; adults using the
seat belt and children using the proper child restraint system. Only adu\
lts should sit in the front seats.
Children must never be allowed in the front passenger seat. See
page 30 for guidelines. Failure to
follow these instructions can result in injury to the vehicle occupants \
in an accident.
pg. 26 Safety
Whiplash Protection System (WHIPS)
Whiplash Protection System (WHIPS) - front seats only
The WHIPS system consists of specially designed hinges and brackets on t\
he front seat backrests
designed to help absorb some of the energy generated in a collision from\
the rear (when the vehicle is
"rear-ended").
In the event of a collision of this type, the hinges and brackets of the\
front seat backrests are designed to
change position slightly to allow the backrest/head restraint to help su\
pport the occupant's head before
moving slightly rearward. This movement helps absorb some of the forces \
that could result in whiplash.
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2007 Volvo XC70
WARNING!
l The WHIPS system is designed to supplement the other safety systems in y\
our vehicle. For this
system to function properly, the three-point seat belt must be worn. Ple\
ase be aware that no system
can prevent all possible injuries that may occur in an accident.
l The WHIPS system is designed to function in certain collisions from the \
rear, depending on the
crash severity, angle and speed.
WARNING!
Occupants in the front seats must never sit out of position. The occupan\
t's back must be as upright as
comfort allows and be against the seat back with the seat belt properly \
fastened.
pg. 27 Safety
Whiplash Protection System (WHIPS)
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2007 Volvo XC70
WARNING!
l Boxes, suitcases, etc. wedged behind the front seats could impede the fu\
nction of the WHIPS
system.
l If the rear seat backrests are folded down, cargo must be secured to pre\
vent it from sliding forward
against the front seat backrests in the event of a collision from the re\
ar. This could interfere with the
action of the WHIPS system.
l If your vehicle has been involved in a rear-end collision, the front sea\
t backrests must be inspected
by a trained and qualified Volvo service technician, even if the seats a\
ppear to be undamaged. Certain
components in the WHIPS system may need to be replaced.
l Do not attempt to service any component in the WHIPS system yourself.
l Any contact between the front seat backrests and the folded rear seat co\
uld impede the function of
the WHIPS system. If the rear seat is folded down, the occupied front se\
ats 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 i\
ncluding children. Remember
that, regardless of age and size, a child should always be properly rest\
rained 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 ve\
hicle by lap belts or the lap
portion of a lap-shoulder belt. Such child restraint systems can help pr\
otect children in vehicles in the
event of an accident only if they are used properly. However, children c\
ould 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 re\
straint system. In an accident, a
child held in a person's arms can be crushed between the vehicle's inter\
ior and an unrestrained person.
The child could also be injured by striking the interior, or by being ej\
ected from the vehicle during a
sudden maneuver or impact. The same can also happen if the infant or chi\
ld 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 childr\
en should be carried in a
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2007 Volvo XC70
vehicle. Find out the regulations existing in your state or province. Re\
cent accident statistics have shown
that children are safer in rear seating positions than front seating pos\
itions when properly restrained. A
child restraint system can help protect a child in a vehicle. Here's wha\
t to look for when selecting a child
restraint system:
l It should have a label certifying that it meets applicable Federal Motor\
Vehicle Safety Standards
(FMVSS 213) - or in Canada, CMVSS 213.
l 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.
l 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 i\
njuries 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 ch\
ild on a cushion so that the seat
belt is properly located on the hips (see the illustration on
page 41). Legislation in your state or province
may mandate the use of a child seat or cushion in combination with the s\
eat belt, depending on the
child's age and/or size. Please check local regulations.
A specially designed and tested booster cushion (not available in Canad\
a) can be obtained from your
Volvo retailer for children weighing 33 - 80 lb. (15 - 36 kg) and 38-5\
4 inches (97 - 137 cm) in height.
pg. 29 Safety
Child safety
WARNING!
l 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.
l On hot days, the temperature in the vehicle interior can rise very quick\
ly. Exposure to these high
temperatures for even a short period of time can cause heat-related inju\
ry or death. Small children are
particularly at risk.
pg. 30 Safety
Child safety
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2007 Volvo XC70
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:
- Attach the seat belt to the child seat according to the child seat man\
ufacturer's instructions.
- Pull the seat belt out as far as possible. - Insert the seat belt latc\
h plate into the buckle (lock) in the
usual way.
- 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 a\
nd 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 v\
ehicle? 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 sh\
ould never be placed in the front
seat, even if he or she is properly belted or strapped into a child safe\
ty 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:
l Always wear your seat belt.
l Airbags are a SUPPLEMENTAL safety device which, when used with a three-p\
oint seat belt can help
reduce serious injuries during certain types of accidents. Volvo recomme\
nds that you do not disconnect
the airbag system in your vehicle.
l Volvo strongly recommends that everyone in the vehicle be properly restr\
ained.
l 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 airba\
g.
Drive safely!
pg. 31 Safety
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2007 Volvo XC70
Child safety
Child restraints
There are three main types of child restraint systems: infant seats, con\
vertible 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 anchor\
s
and/or top tether anchorages.
WARNING!
A child seat should never be used in the front passenger seat of any veh\
icle with a front passenger
airbag - not even if the "Passenger airbag off" symbol near the rear-vie\
w mirror is illuminated (on
vehicles equipped with Occupant Weight Sensor). If the severity of an a\
ccident were to cause the
airbag to inflate, this could lead to serious injury or death to a child\
seated in this position.
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2007 Volvo XC70
WARNING!
Always refer to the child restraint manufacturer's instructions for deta\
iled information on securing the
restraint.
pg. 32 Safety
Child safety
WARNING!
l When not in use, keep the child restraint system secured or remove it fr\
om the passenger
compartment to help prevent it from injuring passengers in the event of \
a sudden stop or collision.
l A small child's head represents a considerable part of its total weight \
and its neck is still very weak.
Volvo recommends that children up to age 4 travel, properly restrained, \
facing rearward. In addition,
Volvo recommends that children should ride rearward facing, properly res\
trained, as long as possible.
pg. 33 Safety
Infant seats
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2007 Volvo XC70
Securing an infant seat with a seat belt
NOTE: Refer to
pages 38-39 for information on securing a child restraint using ISOFIX lower anchor\
s
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 (l\
ock) until a distinct click is audible.
WARNING!
l An infant seat must be in the rear-facing position only.
l The infant seat should not be positioned behind the driver's seat unless\
there is adequate space for
safe installation.
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