Seat belts21
Safety FirstOperating instructionsPractical tipsTe c h n i c a l D a t a Accident statistics have shown properly worn seat belts to be an effective
means of considerably reducing the risk of severe injury and improving the
chances of survival in a serious accident. Furthermore, properly worn seat
belts improve the protection provided by deployed airbags in the event of an
accident. For this reason, wearing a seat belt is required by law in most coun-
tries.
Although your vehicle is equipped with airbags, the seat belts must be
fastened and worn. The front airbags, for example, are only triggered in some
frontal accidents. The front airbags will not be triggered during minor frontal
collisions, minor side collisions, rear collisions, rolls or accidents in which the
airbag trigger threshold value in the control unit is not exceeded.
Therefore, you should always wear your seat belt and ensure that your
passengers have fastened their seat belts properly before you drive off!
Seat belts25
Safety FirstOperating instructionsPractical tipsTe c h n i c a l D a t a
Seat belt position
Seat belts offer their maximum protection in the event of an accident and
reduce the risk of sustaining severe or fatal injuries only when they are prop-
erly positioned. Furthermore, if the webbing is correctly positioned, the seat belt will hold the occupants in the optimum position to ensure the airbag
provides the utmost protection. The seat belt must therefore always be worn
and the webbing correctly positioned.
Incorrectly worn seat belts can cause severe or even fatal injuries Ÿpage 10,
“Adjusting the seat position”.
Correct seat belt position
xThe shoulder part of the seat belt must lie on the centre of the shoulder,
never across the neck or the arm, under the arm or behind the shoulder.
xThe lap part of the seat belt must lie across the pelvis, never across the
stomach.
xThe seat belt must lie flat and fit comfortably. Pull the belt tight if neces-
sary to take up any slack.
In the case of pregnant women, the seat belt must lie evenly across the chest
and as low as possible over the pelvis, never across the stomach and must be
worn properly at all times during the pregnancy Ÿfig. 14.
Fig. 13 Correct belt web and head restraint positions.
Fig. 14 Correct posi-
tioning of seat belts
during pregnancy.