Page 49 of 294

Child safety47
Safety First
Controls and equipment
Practical tips
Technical Data
Safety notes on using child seats
Proper use of child seats substantially reduces the risk of
injury in an accident!As the driver, you are responsible for any children you transport in
your vehicle.
– Protect your children by properly using appropriate child seats
⇒page 48.
– Always ensure that the belt webbing is properly positioned according to the instructions provided by the manufacturer of the
child seat.
– When travelling, do not allow children to distract you from traffic.
– Take breaks regularly during long trips. Take a break at least
every two hours.
WARNING
•Never install a child seat facing backwards (or rear-facing) on the front
passenger seat unless the front passenger airbag has been disabled. This
could lead to a risk of potentially fatal injuries to the child! However, if it is
necessary, in exceptional cases, to transport a child in the front passenger
seat, the front passenger airbag must always be disabled ⇒page 44,
“Deactivating airbags*”. If the passenger seat has a height adjustment
option, move it to the highest position.•For those vehicles that do not include a key lock switch to turn the
airbag off, an Authorised Service Centre must be consulted.•All passengers, especially children, must assume the proper sitting
position and be properly belted in while travelling.
•Never hold children or babies on your lap, this can result in potentially
fatal injuries to the child!•Never allow a child to be transported in a vehicle without being properly
secured, or to stand up or kneel on a seat while travelling. In an accident,
the child could be flung through the vehicle, causing possibly fatal injuries
to themselves and to the other passengers.•If children assume an improper sitting position when the car is moving,
they expose themselves to greater risk of injury in the event of sudden
braking manoeuvre or in an accident. This is particularly important if the
child is travelling on the front passenger seat and the airbag system is trig-
gered in an accident; as this could cause serious injury or even death.•A suitable child seat can protect your child!•Never leave an unsupervised child alone on a child seat or in the
vehicle.•Depending on weather conditions, it may become extremely hot or cold
inside the vehicle. This can be fatal.•Children who are less than 1.5 metres tall must not wear a normal seat
belt without a child restraint system, as this could cause injuries to the
abdominal and neck areas during a sudden braking manoeuvre or in an
accident.•Do not allow the belt webbing to become twisted or jammed, or to rub
on any sharp edges.•Incorrectly worn seat belts can cause injuries even in a minor collision
or in sudden braking manoeuvres.•The seat belt provides maximum protection only when the belt web is
properly positioned ⇒page 24, “Seat belts”.•Only one child may occupy a child seat ⇒page 48, “Child seats”.WARNING (continued)
Freetrack_EN.book Seite 47 Donnerstag, 10. September 2009 10:33 10
Page 50 of 294

Child safety
48Child seatsCategorisation of child seats into groups
Use only child seats that are officially approved and suitable
for the child.Child seats are subject to the regulation ECE-R 44. ECE-R. It means that:
Economic Commission for Europe Regulation
The child seats are grouped into 5 categories:
Group 0 : Children up to 10 kg
Group 0+ : Children up to 13 kg
Group 1 : from 9 to 18 kg
Group 2 : from 15 to 25 kg
Group 3 : from 22 to 36 kg
Child seats that have been tested and approved under the ECE R 44 standard
bear the test mark on the seat (the letter E in a circle with the test number
below it).
Group 0 and 0+ child seats
A suitable child seat and a correctly adjusted seat belt can
help you to protect your child.Group 0: For babies from about 9 months old and 10 kg in weight the most
suitable seats are those appearing in the illustration ⇒ fig. 28.
Group 0+: For babies from about 18 months old and 13 kg in weight the most
suitable seats are those appearing in the illustration.
Follow the manufacturer's instructions and observe any statutory require-
ments when installing and using child seats.
We recommend you to include together with the on-board documentation,
the manufacturer's Child Seat instructions manual.
WARNING
Read and always observe information and warnings concerning the use of
child seats ⇒ in “Safety notes on using child seats” on page 47.
Fig. 28 A group 0 rear-
facing child seat fitted on
the rear seat.
Freetrack_EN.book Seite 48 Donnerstag, 10. September 2009 10:33 10
Page 51 of 294

Child safety49
Safety First
Controls and equipment
Practical tips
Technical Data
Group 1 child seats
A suitable child seat and a correctly adjusted seat belt can
help you to protect your child.Child seats using the “ISOFIX” system or seats in which the child faces the
rear of the car are most appropriate for babies and small children weighing
between 9 and 18 kg.
Follow the manufacturer's instructions and observe any statutory require-
ments when installing and using child seats.
We recommend you to include together with the on-board documentation,
the manufacturer's Child Seat instructions manual.
WARNING
Read and always observe information and warnings concerning the use of
child seats ⇒ in “Safety notes on using child seats” on page 47.
Group 2 and 3 child seats
A suitable child seat and a correctly adjusted seat belt can
help you to protect your child.Follow the manufacturer's instructions and observe any statutory require-
ments when installing and using child seats.
We recommend you to include together with the on-board documentation,
the manufacturer's Child Seat instructions manual.
Group 2 child seats
Children under 7 years of age weighing between 15 and 25 kg are best
protected by group 2 child seats together with properly adjusted seat belts.
Group 3 child seats
Children over 7 years of age weighing between 22 and 36 kg but less than 1.5
metres tall are best protected by seat cushions with head restraints together
with properly worn seat belts ⇒fig. 30 .
Fig. 29 A category 1
forward-facing child seat
fitted on the rear seat.
Fig. 30 Forward-facing
child seat installed on rear
seat.
Freetrack_EN.book Seite 49 Donnerstag, 10. September 2009 10:33 10
Page 52 of 294
Child safety
50
WARNING
•The shoulder part of the seat belt must lie approximately on the centre
of the shoulder, never across the neck or the arm. The seat belt must lie
close to the upper part of the body. The lap belt part must lie across the
pelvis, not across the stomach, and always fit closely. Pull the belt tight if
necessary to take up any slack ⇒page 24, “Seat belts”.•Read and always observe information and warnings concerning the use
of child seats ⇒ in “Safety notes on using child seats” on page 47.
Freetrack_EN.book Seite 50 Donnerstag, 10. September 2009 10:33 10
Page 53 of 294

Child safety51
Safety First
Controls and equipment
Practical tips
Technical Data
Securing child seatsWays to secure a child seat
A child seat can be secured differently on the rear seat and on
the front passenger seat.You can secure a child seat to the rear seat or front passenger seat in the
following ways:•Child seats in groups 0 to 3 can be secured with a seat belt.•Group 0, 0+ and 1 child seats with the “ISOFIX” system can be secured to
the “ISOFIX” retaining rings. In this case, seat belts are not necessary.
U: Suitable for universal approved restraining systems for use in this age category (universal retention systems are those fitted using the adult
seat belt).
*: Move the passenger seat as far to rear as possible, as high as possible and always deactivate the airbag.
L: Suitable for retention systems using the “ISOFIX” anchors
WARNING
•When travelling, children must be secured in the vehicle with a
restraint system suitable for age, weight and size.•Never install a child seat facing backwards (or rear-facing) on the front
passenger seat unless the front passenger airbag has been disabled. This
could cause fatal injuries to the child! However, if it is necessary, in excep-
tional cases, to transport a child in the front passenger seat, the front
passenger airbag must always be disabled ⇒page 44, “Deactivating
airbags*” and move the seat to its highest position, in case it has this
adjustment.•Read and always observe information and warnings concerning the use
of child seats ⇒ in “Safety notes on using child seats” on page 47.
Securing child seat with the “ISOFIX” system
The child seat with “ISOFIX” system can be secured quickly,
easily and safely on the rear outer seats using the system
Category
Weight
Seat locations
Front
passenger
Rear outer
Rear centre
Group 0
<10 kg
U*
U/L
U
Group 0+
<13 kg
U*
U/L
U
Group 1
9-18 kg
U*
U/L
U
Group 2 / 3
15-36 kg
U*
U
U
Fig. 31 ISOFIX securing
rings
Freetrack_EN.book Seite 51 Donnerstag, 10. September 2009 10:33 10
Page 54 of 294

Child safety
52
When removing or fitting the child seat, please be sure to follow the
manufacturer's instructions.
– Move the seat as far to rear as it will go.
– Press the child seat onto the “ISOFIX” retaining rings until the child seat can be heard to engage securely.
– Pull on both sides of the child seat to ensure that it is secure.Two “ISOFIX” retaining rings are fitted on each rear seat. In some vehicles, the
rings are secured to the seat frame and, in others, they are secured to the rear
floor. The access to “ISOFIX” rings is between the rear back rest and the seat.
Child seats with “ISOFIX” mountings are available in your Authorised Service
Centres.
WARNING
•The retaining rings are designed only for use with “ISOFIX” child seats.•Never secure child seats without th e “ISOFIX” system, retaining belts
or objects to the fastening rings – this can result in potentially fatal injuries
to the child.•Ensure that the child seat is secured correctly to the “ISOFIX”
anchors.
Freetrack_EN.book Seite 52 Donnerstag, 10. September 2009 10:33 10
Page 55 of 294
53
Safety First
Controls and equipment
Practical tips
Technical Data
Freetrack_EN.book Seite 53 Donnerstag, 10. September 2009 10:33 10
Page 56 of 294
54
Fig. 32 Dash panelFreetrack_EN.book Seite 54 Donnerstag, 10. September 2009 10:33 10