Airbag system
179
Using the system
Safety
Driving Tips
General Maintenance
Breakdown assistance
Technical Data
Side airbags*Description of side airbags The side airbag together with the
head airbag offers enhanced occu-
pant protection in the event of a side collision.The front side airbags are housed in the upholstery of the backrests of the front seats
⇒fig. 174
.
The rear side airbags* are located between the entrance area and the seat backrest.The side airbag system in combination with
the three-point seat belts, offers addi-
tional protection for the upper area of th
e body (chest, stomach and pelvis) of the
occupants of the car in the event of
a side collision of major severity.
Apart from their normal protective function, a further task of the
seat belts
is to
also hold the occupents of the front or rear exterior seats in a correct seated posi- tion in the event of a side collision so
as to enable the side airbag to offer the
maximum protection. You should therefore always fasten the seat
belts, not only because this is required
by law, but also for safety reasons and for your own protection. Each time the side airbags are deployed
, the head airbag* and the front belt
tensioner on the side of the car at whic
h the collision occure
s, are automatically
deployed at the same time in order to
provide the occupant with enhanced
protection.
Function of the side airbags Risk of injury to the upper part of the body is reduced by fully inflated side airbags.When the side airbags are deployed, the head
airbag and the belt tensioner are also
automatically deployed
on the relevant side
⇒fig. 175
.
If an airbag is deployed, the airbag is fill
ed with propellant gas. The airbags inflate
in fractions of a second and at a high spee
d in order to be able to offer that addi-
tional protection in the event of an accident. A grey white, non harmful gas is released when airbag is inflated. This is perfectly normal and is not an indication of a fire in the vehicle. The load of the occupants is cushioned when
plunging into the fully inflated airbag
and the risk of injury to the entire up
per body (chest, stomach and pelvis) is
reduced on the side facing the door.
Fig. 174 Installation position of side airbag in driver seat
Fig. 175 Inflated side airbag
s2dk.1.book Page 179 Wednesday, April 8, 2009 12:23 PM
Airbag system
181
Using the system
Safety
Driving Tips
General Maintenance
Breakdown assistance
Technical Data
•
Any work on the side airbag system
including removing and installing
system components because of other repair work (e.g. removing seats) must only be carried out by a specialist garage.Head airbags*Description of the head airbags The head airbag together with the
side airbag offers enhanced occu-
pant protection in the event of a side collision.The head airbags are positioned above the d
oors on both sides in the interior of the
car
⇒fig. 176
. The installation positions are each
marked with the “AIRBAG” logo.
The head airbag together with the three-poin
t seat belts and the side airbags, offers
additional protection for the head and neck
area of the occupants in the event of a
side collision of major severity
⇒page 182, “Important safety information on the
head airbag”. Apart from their normal protective function, a further task of the
seat belts
is to
also hold the driver and the occupants in a
correct seated position in the event of a
side collision so as to enable the head
airbags to offer the maximum protection.
You should therefore always fasten the seat
belts, not only because this is required
by law, but also for safety reas
ons and for your own protection
⇒page 168, “Why
seat belts?”. Together with other elements (such as cros
s bars in the seats, stable vehicle struc-
ture) the head airbags are the conseque
nt further development of occupant
protection in the case of side collisions.Function of the head airbags The risk of injury to the head and ne
ck area is reduced in the event of
a side collision by fully inflated head airbags.In the case of a
side collision
the head airbag is deploy
ed together with the rele-
vant side airbag and the belt tensioner on
the side of the car on which the accident
occurs
⇒fig. 177
.
If the system is deployed, the airbags are filled with propellant gas and extend over the entire area of the side window including the door pillar
⇒fig. 177
.
The protection offered by the head airbags
is thus available simu
ltaneously both to
the front occupants of the car seated on th
e side on which the accident occurs, as
well as to the rear occupants. Any impact of
the head against parts of the interior or
objects outside of the car, is cushioned by
the inflated head airbag. The reduction
in any impact to the head and the result
ant minimizing of any movements of the
head additionally reduce the
risk of injuries to the neck
area. The head airbag also
WARNING (continued)
Fig. 176 Installation position of the head airbags
Fig. 177 Inflated head airbag
s2dk.1.book Page 181 Wednesday, April 8, 2009 12:23 PM
