Safe driving
12•
Adjust the front passenger seat so th at there is at least 25 cm between 
your breastbone and the dash panel. If you are sitting nearer than 25 cm, 
the airbag system cannot protect you properly.
•
If your physical constitution prevents you from maintaining the 
minimum distance of 25 cm, contact a qualified workshop. The workshop 
will help you decide if special specific modifications are necessary.
•
Always keep your feet in the footwell when the vehicle is moving; never 
rest them on the instrument panel, out the window or on the seat. An incor-
rect sitting position exposes you to an increased risk of injury in case of a 
sudden braking or an accident. If the airbag is triggered, you could sustain 
severe injuries due to an incorrect sitting position.
•
To reduce the risk of injury to the front passenger in events such sudden 
braking manoeuvres or an accident, never travel with the backrest tilted far 
back! The airbag system and seat belts can only provide optimal protection 
when the backrest is in an upright position and the front passenger is 
wearing his or her seat belt properly. The further the backrests are tilted to 
the rear, the greater the risk of injury  due to incorrect positioning of the 
belt web or to the incorrect sitting position!
•
Adjust the head restraint properly in order to achieve maximum 
protection.
Correct sitting position for passengers in the rear seats
Passengers in the rear seats must sit up straight, keep their 
feet in the foot well s and wear their seat belts properly.To reduce the risk of injury in the event of a sudden braking 
manoeuvre or an accident, passengers on the rear bench seat must 
consider the following: – Adjust the headrest to the correct position 
⇒page 14.
– Keep both feet in the foot well in front of the rear seat.
– Fasten your safety belt securely  ⇒page 19.
– Use an appropriate child restraint system when you take children  in the vehicle  ⇒page 45.
WARNING
•
If the passengers on the rear seat are not sitting properly, they could 
sustain severe injuries.
•
Adjust the head restraint properly in order to achieve maximum protec-
tion.
•
Seat belts can only provide optimal protection when backrests are in an 
upright position and the passengers ar e wearing their seat belts properly. 
If passengers on the rear seat are not  sitting in an upright position, the risk 
of injury due to incorrect positioning of the belt web increases.
WARNING (continued)
AlteaXL_EN.book  Seite 12  M ontag, 2. Februar 2009  12:26 12 
Safe driving13
Safety First
Operating instructions
Practical tips
Te c h n i c a l  D a t a
Correct adjustment of front seat head restraints
Properly adjusted head restraints are an important part of 
passengers protection and can reduce the risk of injuries in 
most accident situations.
Adjust the head restraint properly in order to achieve maximum 
protection.
– Adjust the head restraint so that its upper edge is at the same 
level as the top of your head or as close as possible to the same 
level as the top of your head and, at the very least, at eye level 
⇒fig. 3 and ⇒ fig. 4Adjusting the head restraints  ⇒page 128.
WARNING
•
Travelling with the head restrain ts removed or improperly adjusted 
increases the risk of severe injuries.
•
Incorrectly adjusted head restraints could result in death in the event of 
a collision or accident.
•
Incorrectly adjusted head restraints  also increase the risk of injury 
during sudden or unexpected driving or braking manoeuvres.
•
The head restraints must always be adjusted according to the 
passenger's height.
Headrests in use*Vehicle occupants are pressed into their seats during a rear end collision. The 
resulting body pressure on the backrest activates the crash-active head 
restraint* on the front seat, which moves rapidly forwards and upwards at the 
same time. This movement reduces the distance between the occupant's 
head and the head rest, thus reducing the risk of head injuries such as brain 
trauma.
Fig. 3  Properly adjusted 
head restraint viewed 
from the frontFig. 4  Properly adjusted 
head restraint viewed 
from the side
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