2009 Seat Ibiza SC page 63

Seat belts
22
WARNING
•An incorrectly worn seat belt web can cause severe injuries in the event
of an accident.•The shoulder belt must be positioned around the middle of the
shoulder. The seat belt must lie flat and snugly on the torso ⇒page 21,
fig. 12.•The lap par t of the seat belt must lie across the pelvis, never across the
stomach. The seat belt must lie flat and snugly on the pelvis ⇒page 21,
fig. 13. Pull the belt tight if necessary to take up any slack.•Read and observe the warnings ⇒page 19.
Pregnant women must also fasten their seat belts properly
The best protection for the unborn child is for the mother to
wear the seat belt properly at all times during the pregnancy.
The seat belt provides maximum protection only when the belt web
is properly positioned ⇒page 21.
– Adjust the front seat and head restraint correctly.
– Holding the latch plate, pull the belt evenly across your chest and as low as possible over the pelvis ⇒fig. 14 .
– Insert the latch plate into the buckle for the corresponding seat and push it down until it is securely locked with an audible click
⇒ .
– Pull the belt to ensure that the latch plate is securely engaged in the buckle.
WARNING
•An incorrectly worn seat belt web can cause severe injuries in the event
of an accident.•For pregnant women, the lap part of the seat belt must lie as low as
possible over the pelvis, never across the stomach, and always lie flat so
that no pressure is exerted on the abdomen.•Read and observe the warnings ⇒page 19.
Fig. 14 Positioning seat
belts during pregnancy
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Seat belts23
Safety First
Controls and equipment
Practical tips
Technical Data
Seat belt release
The seat belt must not be unfastened until the vehicle has
come to a standstill.– Press the red button on the belt buckle ⇒fig. 15 . The latch plate
is released and springs out ⇒ .
– Guide the belt back by hand so that it rolls up easily and the trim is not damaged.
WARNING
Never unbuckle a seat belt while the vehicle is in motion. If you do, you
increase the risk of sustaining severe or fatal injuries.
Incorrectly fastened seat belts
Incorrectly worn seat belts can cause severe injuries.Seat belts can provide optimal protection only if the belt web is
properly worn. The seat belts must be fastened exactly in the order
described in this chapter. An incorrect sitting position impairs
substantially the protection a seat belt offers and can lead to severe
or fatal injuries. The risk of severe or fatal injuries is especially
increased when a deploying airbag strikes an occupant who has
assumed an incorrect sitting position. As driver, you are responsible
for all vehicle occupants, especially children. Therefore:
– Never allow anyone to wear the seat belt incorrectly while the
vehicle is moving ⇒.
WARNING
•An incorrectly worn seat belt increases the risk of severe injuries.•Before every trip, instruct your passengers to adjust their seat belts
properly and to wear them during the trip.•Read and always observe information and warnings concerning the use
of seat belts ⇒page 19.
Fig. 15 Removing latch
plate from buckle
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Airbag system25
Safety First
Controls and equipment
Practical tips
Technical Data
Airbag systemBrief introductionWhy wear a seat belt and assume the correct sitting position?
For the inflating airbags to achieve the best protection, the
seat belt must always be worn properly and the correct sitting
position must be assumed.For your own safety and the safety of the passengers, please ensure
the following before driving:
– Always wear the seat belt properly.
– Adjust the driver's seat and the steering wheel correctly.
– Adjust the front passenger seat correctly.
– Adjust the head restraint correctly ⇒page 12.
– Use an appropriate child restrain t system to protect children in
your vehicle.The airbag is deployed at high speed in fractions of a second. If you have an
incorrect seating position at the time the airbag is deployed, it could cause
you critical injuries. Therefore, it is essential that all passengers in the vehicle
assume a correct sitting position while travelling.
A sharp braking before an accident may cause a passenger not wearing a seat
belt to be thrown forward into the area of the deploying airbag. In this case, the inflating airbag may inflict critical or fatal injuries on the occupant. This
also applies to children.
Always maintain the greatest possible distance between yourself and the
front airbag. This way, the front airbags can completely deploy when trig-
gered, providing their maximum protection.
The most important factors that will trigger an airbag are: the type of acci-
dent, the angle of collision and the speed of the vehicle.
Whether the airbags are triggered depends primarily on the vehicle deceler-
ation rate resulting from the collision and detected by the control unit. If the
vehicle deceleration occurring during the collision and measured by the
control unit remains below the specified reference values, the front, side
and/or curtain airbag will not be triggered. Remember that the visible
damage in a vehicle involved in an accident, for whatever reason, is not an
indication as to why the airbags had been triggered.
WARNING
•Wearing the seat belt incorrectly or assuming an incorrect sitting posi-
tion can lead to critical or fatal injuries.•All occupants, including children, who are not properly belted can
sustain critical or fatal injuries if the airbag is triggered. You should always
transport all children up to 12 years of age on the rear seat. Never transport
children in the vehicle if they are not restrained or the restraint system is
not appropriate for their age, size or weight.•If you are not wearing a seat belt, if you lean forward or to the side while
travelling or assume an incorrect sitting position, there is a substantially
increased risk of injury. This increased risk of injury will be further
increased if you are struck by an inflating airbag.•To reduce the risk of injury from an inflating airbag, always wear the
seat belt properly.
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Airbag system
26•Always properly adjust the front seats.
The danger of fitting a child seat on the front passenger seat
Rear-facing child seats must never be used on the front
passenger seat when the front passenger airbag is enabled.An enabled front airbag on the front passenger side is potentially a major
danger to a child. The front passenger seat is life threatening to a child if
he/she is transported in a rear-facing child seat. You should always transport
all children up to 12 years of age on the rear seat.
If a rear-facing child seat is secured to the front passenger seat, an inflating
airbag can strike it with such great force that critical or fatal injuries may
result.
Therefore we strongly recommend you to transport children on the rear seats.
That is the safest place for children in the vehicle. Alternatively, the front
passenger airbag can be disabled with a key-operated switch ⇒page 36.
When transporting children, use a child seat appropriate to the age and size
of each child.
For those vehicles that do not include a key lock switch to turn the airbag off,
an Authorised Service Centre must be consulted.
WARNING
•If a child seat is secured to the front passenger seat, the risk to the child
of sustaining critical or fatal injuries in the event of an accident increases.•Never secure a rear-facing child seat to the front passenger seat if the
front passenger airbag is enabled. The child can suffer critical or fatal inju-
ries when the front passenger airbag is triggered.
•An inflating front passenger airbag can strike the rear-facing child seat
and hurl it with great force against the door, the roof or the backrest.•If, under special circumstances, it is necessary to transport a child in a
rear-facing child seat on the front passenger seat, it is absolutely essential
that you observe the following safety measures:
−Disable the front passenger airbag ⇒page 36, “Deactivating
airbags*”.
− The child seat must be approved by the child seat manufacturer for
use on a front passenger seat with front or side airbag.
− Follow the installation instructions of the child seat manufacturer
and absolutely observe all warnings
− Before properly installing the child seat, push the front passenger
seat completely backwards so that the greatest possible distance to
the front passenger airbag is ensured.
− Ensure that no objects prevent the front passenger seat from being
pushed completely back.
− The backrest of the front passenger seat must be in an upright
position.
Warning lamp for airbag and belt tension device system

This warning lamp monitors the airbag and belt tension
device system.The warning lamp monitors all airbags and belt tension devices in the
vehicle, including control units and wiring connections.
WARNING (continued)
WARNING (continued)
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Airbag system
28Front airbagsDescription of front airbags
The airbag system is not a substitute for the seat belts.
The front airbag for the driver is located in the steering wheel ⇒fig. 16 and
the airbag for the front passenger is located in the dash panel ⇒fig. 17.
Airbags are identified by the word “AIRBAG”.
In conjunction with the seat belts, the front airbag system gives the front
occupants additional protection for the head and chest in the event of a
severe frontal collision ⇒ page 30, “Safety notes on the frontal airbag
system”.
In addition to their normal function of restraining the occupants, the seat
belts also hold the driver and front passenger in a position where the airbags
can provide maximum protection in a frontal collision.
The airbag system is not a substitute for seat belts, but it is an integral part
of the vehicle's overall passive safety system. Please bear in mind that the
airbag system can only work effectively when the occupants are wearing their
seat belts correctly and have adjusted the head restraints properly. For this
reason, it is very important to wear the seat belts at all times, not only
because this is required by law in most countries, but also for your safety.
The main parts of the front airbag system are:•an electronic control and monitoring system (control unit),•the two front airbags (airbag with gas generator) for the driver and front
passenger,•a warning lamp
 in the dash panel insert ⇒page 26.
The airbag system operation is monitored electronically. The airbag warning
lamp will light up for a few seconds every time the ignition is switched on
(self-diagnosis).
There is a fault in the system if the warning lamp
:
•does not light up when the ignition is switched on ⇒ page 26•after the ignition is switched on, it turns off after 4 seconds,•it turns off and then lights up again after the ignition is switched on,•lights up or flashes while the car is moving.
Fig. 16 Driver airbag
located in steering wheelFig. 17 Front passenger
airbag located in dash
panel
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Airbag system29
Safety First
Controls and equipment
Practical tips
Technical Data
The front airbag system will not be triggered if:
•the ignition is switched off,•there is a minor frontal collision,•there is a side collision,•there is a rear-end collision,•the vehicle turns over.WARNING
•The seat belts and airbags can only provide maximum protection if the
occupants are seated correctly ⇒ page 9, “Proper sitting position for occu-
pants”.•If a fault has occurred in the airbag system, have the system checked
immediately by a qualified workshop. Otherwise, during a frontal collision
the system may fail to trigger, or not trigger correctly.
Operation of frontal airbags
Inflated airbags reduce the risk of head or chest injury.The airbag system is designed so that the airbags for the driver and front
passenger are triggered in a severe frontal collision.
In certain types of accident the front, curtain and side airbags may be trig-
gered together.
When the system is triggered, the airbags fill with a propellant gas and
deploy in front of the driver and front passenger ⇒ fig. 18. The fully deployed
airbags cushion the forward movement of the front occupants and help to
reduce the risk of injury to the head and the upper part of the body.
The special design of the airbag allows the controlled escape of the propel-
lant gas when an occupant puts pressure on the bag. Thus, the head and
chest are surrounded and protected by the airbag. After the collision, the
airbag deflates sufficiently for the front occupants to see forward.
In order to provide the desired extra protection in an accident, the airbags
have to deploy extremely rapidly (within thousandth of a second). A fine dust
Fig. 18 Inflated front
airbags
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Airbag system
30may develop when the airbag deploys. This is normal and it is not an indica-
tion of fire in the vehicle.Safety notes on the frontal airbag system
If you use airbags correctly, they can considerably reduce the
risk of injury in many kinds of accident.
WARNING
•It is important for the driver and front passenger to keep a distance of
at least 25 cm from the steering wheel or dash panel. If the minimum
distance is not observed, the airbags do not correctly protect the vehicle
occupants; risk of fatal injuries! In addition, the front seats and head
restraints must always be positioned correctly for the height of the occu-
pant.•I f yo u are n o t w ea r i ng a s ea t b e l t , i f yo u l e an fo r w a rd o r t o t h e s id e w h il e
travelling or assume an incorrect sitting position, there is a substantially
increased risk of injury. This increased risk of injury will be further
increased if you are struck by an inflating airbag.•Never let a child travel on the front seat without an appropriate restraint
system. If the airbag is triggered in an accident, children can sustain
serious or fatal injuries ⇒page 38, “Child safety”.•The deployment space between the front passengers and the airbags
must not in any case be occupied by other passenger, pets and objects.•The airbags provide protection for just one accident; replace them once
they have deployed.•It is also important not to attach any objects such as cup holders or
telephone mountings to the surfaces covering the airbag units.•Do not attempt to modify components of the airbag system in any
way.
Side airbagsDescription of side airbags
The airbag system is not a substitute for the seat belts.The side airbags are located in the driver seat and front passenger seat back-
rests ⇒fig. 19. The locations are identified by the text “AIRBAG” in the upper
region of the backrests.
Together with the seat belts, the side airbag system gives the front seat occu-
pants additional protection for the upper body in the event of a severe side
collision ⇒page 33, “Safety notes on the operation of the side airbag
system”.
In a side collision, the side airbags reduce the risk of injury to passengers on
the front seats to the areas of the body facing the impact. In addition to their
normal function of protecting the occupants in a collision, the seat belts also
hold the passengers on the front seats in a position where the side airbags
can provide maximum protection.
Fig. 19 Side airbag in
driver seat
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Airbag system31
Safety First
Controls and equipment
Practical tips
Technical Data
The airbag system is not a substitute for seat belts, but it is an integral part
of the vehicle's overall passive safety system. Please bear in mind that the
airbag system can only work effectively when the occupants are wearing their
seat belts. For this reason, it is most important to wear the seat belts at all
times, not only because this is required by law in most countries, but also as
a contribution to your own safety
The side airbag system will not be triggered if:
•the ignition is switched off,•there is a minor side collision,•there is a frontal collision,•there is a rear-end collision,•the vehicle turns over.
The main parts of the airbag system are:•an electronic control and monitoring system (control unit),•the side airbags in the sides of the backrests of the front seats,•a warning lamp
 in the dash panel insert ⇒page 26.
The airbag system operation is monitored electronically. The airbag warning
lamp will light up for approx. 4 seconds every time the ignition is switched on
(self-diagnosis).
WARNING
•Never drive the vehicle if the interior panels have been removed.•Never drive if the interior door panels have been removed or if the
panels have not been correctly fitted.•Never drive the vehicle if the loudspeakers in the door panels have
been removed, unless the holes left by the loudspeakers have been
correctly closed.•Always check that the openings are closed or covered if loudspeakers
or other equipment are fitted in the interior door panels.
•Any work carried out to the doors should be made in a qualified author-
ised workshop.•The seat belts and airbags can only provide maximum protection if the
occupants are seated correctly ⇒page 9, “Proper sitting position for occu-
pants”.•If a fault has occurred in the airbag system, have the system checked
immediately by a qualified workshop. Otherwise, during a side collision,
the system may fail to trigger, or not trigger correctly.
Function of side airbags
Inflated airbags can reduce the risk of head or chest injury in
many side impact collisions.In some side collisions the side airbag is triggered on the impact side of the
vehicle ⇒fig. 20 .
WARNING (continued)
Fig. 20 Inflated side
airbag on left side of
vehicle
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