2008 SMART FORTWO COUPE ECU

Occupant safety
52
>> Safety.G
Warning!
USE SEAT BELTS PROPERLY
• Seat belts can only work when used
properly. Never wear seat belts in any
other way than as described in this
section, as that could result in serious
injuries in case of an accident.
• Each occupant should wear their seat
belt at all times, because seat belts
help reduce the likelihood of and
potential severity of injuries in
accidents, including rollovers. The
integrated restraint system includes
SRS (driver front air bag, passenger
front air bag, head
thorax air bags)
and Emergency Tensioning Devices
(ETDs) with seat belt force limiters.
The system is designed to enhance the
protection provided by secured seat

belts in certain frontal and side im

pacts.
• Never wear the shoulder belt under
your arm, against your neck or off your
shoulder. Doing so may cause your
body to move too far forward in a fron

tal crash, which would increase the
chance of head and neck injuries. The
seat belt would also apply too much
force to the ribs or abdomen, which
could severely injure internal organs
such as your liver or spleen.
• Never wear seat belts over rigid or
breakable objects in or on your cloth

ing, such as eyeglasses, pens, keys,
etc., as these might cause injuries.
• Position the lap belt as low as possible
on your hips and not across the abdo

men. If the lap seat belt is positioned
across your abdomen, it could cause
serious injuries in a crash.
• Never use a seat belt for more than one
person at time. Do not fasten a single
seat belt around a person and another
person or other objects.
• Seat belts should not be worn twisted.
In a crash, you would not have the full
width of the seat belt to manage impact
forces. The twisted seat belt against
your body could cause injuries.

Occupant safety
>> Safety.
53 Emergency Tensioning Devices
(ETDs) and seat belt force limiters
The seat belts are equipped with Emergency
Tensioning Devices and seat belt force limit

ers.
Emergency Tensioning Devices are designed
to activate in the following cases:
• in frontal or rear
end impacts exceeding
the system deployment threshold
• if the restraint systems are operational and
functioning correctly
• in collisions with high vehicle deceleration/
acceleration in the longitudinal or lateral
direction, e.g. a head
on collision or a side
collision
• on passenger side when the seat is occu

pied and the seat belt is fastened
• in collisions in lateral direction on the side
of the vehicle that is struck
• independently of the front air bagsWhen activated, Emergency Tensioning Devic

es remove slack from the seat belts in such a
way that the seat belts fit more snugly against
the body. Seat belt force limiters, when acti

vated, reduce the force exerted by the seat
belts on occupants during a crash.
• Pregnant women should also always use
a lap
shoulder belt. The lap belt
portion should be positioned as low as
possible on the hips to avoid any
possible pressure on the abdomen.
• Never place your feet on the instru

ment panel, dashboard or on the seat.
Always keep both feet on the floor in
front of the seat.
• When using a seat belt to secure infant
or toddler restraints or children in
booster seats, always follow the child
seat manufacturer’s instructions.

Occupant safety
62
>> Safety.When the OCS senses that the passenger
seat occupant is classified as an adult or
someone larger than a small individual,
the57 indicator lamp will
illuminate for approximately 4 seconds
when the ignition is switched on and then
goes out, indicating that the passenger
front air bag is activated.
If the57 indicator lamp is
illuminated, the passenger front air bag
is deactivated and will not be deployed.
If the57 indicator lamp is
not illuminated, the passenger front air
bag is activated and will be deployed:
• in the event of certain frontal impacts
• if impact exceeds a preset deployment
threshold
• independently of the head
thorax air
bags
If the passenger front air bag is de

ployed, the rate of inflation will be
influenced by:
• the rate of vehicle deceleration and a
fastened or unfastend seat belt as
assessed by the air bag control unit
• the passenger’s weight category as
identified by the Occupant Classifica

tion System (OCS).
G
Warning!
Children 12 years old and under must be
seated and properly secured in an
appropriate infant or child restraint
recommended for the size and weight of
the child.
The infant or child restraint must be
properly secured with the vehicle’s seat
belt, fully in accordance with the child
seat manufacturer's instructions.
Children can be killed or seriously
injured by an inflating air bag. Note the
following important information:
• Your vehicle is equipped with air bag
technology designed to turn off the
passenger front air bag in your vehicle
when the system senses the weight of a
typical 12
month
old child or less
along with the weight of a standard
appropriate child restraint on the
passenger seat.

Occupant safety
>> Safety.
63
i
Deployment of the driver front air bag
does not mean that the passenger front air
bag also should have deployed.
The Occupant Classification System
(

page 60) may have determined:
• that the seat was empty or occupied by the
weight up to or less than that of a typical
12
month
old child seated in a standard
child restraint – both instances where the
system suppresses deployment of the pas

senger front air bag even though the impact
met the criteria and was of sufficient
severity to deploy the driver front air bag.
• that the seat was occupied by a small indi

vidual (such as a young teenager or a small
adult) or a child weighing more than the
weight of a typical 12
month
old child in a
standard child restraint – instances where
the system may suppress deployment of the
passenger front air bag even though the
impact met the criteria and was of sufficient
severity to deploy the driver front air bag.
• A child in a rear
facing child restraint
on the passenger seat will be seriously
injured or even killed if the passenger
front air bag inflates in a collision
which could occur under some circum

stances, even with the air bag technol

ogy installed in your vehicle.
• If you install a rear
facing child
restraint on the passenger seat, make
sure that the57 indicator
lamp is illuminated, indicating that the
passenger front air bag is deactivated.
Should the57 indicator
lamp not illuminate or go out while the
restraint is installed, please check
installation.
Periodically check the57
indicator lamp while driving to make
sure the57 indicator
lamp is illuminated.
If the57 indicator lamp
goes out or remains out, do not trans

port a child on the passenger seat until
the system has been repaired.
A child in a rear
facing child restraint
on the passenger seat may be seriously
injured or even killed if the passenger
front air bag inflates.
• If you place a child in a forward
facing
child restraint on the passenger seat,
move the seat as far back as possible,
use the proper child restraint recom

mended for the age, size and weight of
the child by the seat manufacturer, and
secure child restraint with the vehi

cle’s seat belt according to the child
seat manufacturer’s instructions. For
children larger than the typical
12
month
old child, the passenger
front air bag may or may not be acti

vated (

page 60).

Occupant safety
>> Safety.
65
More information can be found in the
"Practical hints" section
(
page 246)
.
Children in the vehicleIf an infant or child is traveling with you in the
vehicle:
>Secure the child using an infant or child
restraint appropriate to the age and size of
the child.
>Make sure the infant or child is properly
secured at all times while the vehicle is in
motion.
G
Warning!
If the57 indicator lamp
should not illuminate immediately after
starting the engine, the system is not
functioning. You must contact an autho

rized smart center before seating any
child on the passenger seat.
G
Warning!
Never place anything between seat
cushion and child seat (e.g. pillow), since
it reduces the effectiveness of the
Occupant Classification System. The
bottom of the child seat must make full
contact with the passenger seat cushion.
An incorrectly mounted child seat could
cause injuries to the child in case of an
accident, instead of increasing protec

tion for the child.
Follow the manufacturer’s instructions
for installation of child seats.
G
Warning!
Do not leave children unattended in the
vehicle, even if they are secured in a
child restraint system. The children
could
• injure themselves on parts of the
vehicle
• be seriously or fatally injured through
excessive exposure to extreme heat or
cold

Occupant safety
66
>> Safety.Infant and child restraint system*
We recommend all infants and children be
properly restrained at all times while the
vehicle is in operation.
The passenger lap
shoulder belt has a special
seat belt retractor for secure fastening of
child restraints.
To fasten a child restraint, follow all mounting
instructions provided by the child restraint
manufacturer. Then pull the shoulder seat
belt out completely and let it retract. During
seat belt retraction, a ratcheting sound can
be heard to indicate that the special seat belt
retractor is activated. The seat belt is now
locked. Push down on child restraint to take up
any slack.
To deactivate, release seat belt buckle and let
seat belt retract completely. To deactivate
the special seat belt retractor for the pas

senger seat, the passenger seat must be in
the most backward position. The seat belt can
again be used in the usual manner.The use of infant or child restraints is
required by law in all 50 states, the District of
Columbia, the U.S. territories, and all
Canadian provinces.
Infants and small children should be seated in
an appropriate infant or child restraint
system properly secured in accordance with
the manufacturer’s instructions for the child
restraint, that complies with U.S. Federal
Motor Vehicle Safety Standards 213 and 225
and Canadian Motor Vehicle Safety
Standards 213, 213.1 and 213.2.Do not expose the child restraint system
to direct sunlight. The child restraint
system’s metal parts, for example, could
become very hot, and the child could be
burned on these parts.
If children open a door, they could
• injure other persons
• get out of the vehicle and injure
themselves or be injured by following
traffic
Do not carry heavy or hard objects in the
passenger compartment unless they are
firmly secured in place.
For more information, please refer to the
"Loading and storing section"
(
page 155).
Unsecured or improperly positioned
cargo increases a child’s risk of injury in
the event of
• strong braking maneuvers
• sudden changes of direction
• an accident
G
Warning!
Never release the seat belt buckle while
the vehicle is in motion, since the special
seat belt retractor will be deactivated.

Occupant safety
>> Safety.
67
A statement by the child restraint manufac

turer of compliance with these standards can
be found on the instruction label on the
restraint and in the instruction manual
provided with the restraint.
When using any infant restraint, toddler
restraint, or booster seat be sure to carefully
read and follow all manufacturer’s instruc

tions for installation and use.
Please read and observe warning labels
affixed to the inside of the vehicle and to
infant or child restraints.
G
Warning!
Children 12 years old and under must be
seated and properly secured in an
appropriately sized infant restraint,
toddler restraint, or booster seat recom

mended for the size and weight of the
child.
The infant or child restraint must be
properly secured with the vehicle’s seat
belt fully in accordance with the child
seat manufacturer’s instructions.
Occupants, especially children, should
never place their bodies or lean their
heads in the area of the door where the
head
thorax air bag inflates. This could
result in serious injuries or death should
the head
thorax air bag be triggered.
Always sit as upright as possible, prop

erly use the seat belt and use an appro

priately sized infant restraint, toddler
restraint, or booster seat recommended
for the size and weight of the child.
Children can be killed or seriously
injured by an inflating air bag. Note the
following important information when
circumstances require you to place a
child in the passenger seat:
• Your vehicle is equipped with air bag
technology designed to turn off the
passenger front air bag in your vehicle
when the Occupant Classification Sys

tem senses the weight of a typical
12
month
old child or less along with
the weight of an appropriate child re

straint on the passenger seat.
• A child in a rear
facing child restraint
on the passenger seat may be seriously
injured or even killed if the passenger
front air bag inflates in a collision.
• If you install a rear
facing child
restraint on the passenger seat, make
sure that the57 indicator
lamp is illuminated, indicating that the
passenger front air bag is deactivated.

Occupant safety
68
>> Safety.Should the57 indicator
lamp not illuminate or go out while the
restraint is installed, please check
installation. Periodically check
the57 indicator lamp
while driving to make sure
the57 indicator lamp is
illuminated. If the57
indicator lamp goes out or remains out,
do not transport a child on the passen

ger seat until the system has been
repaired. A child in a rear
facing child
restraint on the passenger seat may be
seriously injured or even killed if the
passenger front air bag inflates.
• If you place a child in a forward
facing
child restraint on the passenger seat,
move the seat as far back as possible,
use a proper child restraint recom

mended for the age, size and weight of
the child, and secure child restraint
with the vehicle’s seat belt according
to the child seat manufacturer’s
instructions. For children larger than
the typical 12
month
old child, the
passenger front air bag may or may not
be activated (

page 61).
G
Warning!
Infants and small children should never
share a seat belt with another occupant.
During an accident, they could be
crushed between the occupant and seat
belt.
A child’s risk of serious or fatal injuries
is significantly increased if the child
restraint are not properly secured in the
vehicle and/or the child is not properly
secured in the child restraint.
Children too big for a toddler restraint
must ride in a seat using regular seat
belt.