restraint when the wearer is in a position
that is as upright as possible and the belt
is properly positioned on the body.GWarning!
Never let more people ride in the vehicle
than there are seat belts available. Make
sure everyone riding in the vehicle is
correctly restrained with a separate seat
belt. Never use a seat belt for more than one
person at a time.
GWarning!
Seat belts of a vehicle involved in an
accident must be inspected by smart. Only
then is it possible to determine whether
the seat belts were damaged or stressed in
the accident. Damaged or stressed seat
belts may not properly protect you in a
subsequent accident.
Only use seat belts which have been
approved by smart.
Do not make any modifications to the seat
belts. This can lead to unintended
activation of the Emergency Tensioning
Devices (ETDs) or to their failure to
activate when necessary.
Do not bleach or dye seat belts as this may
severely weaken them. In a crash, they may
not be able to provide adequate protection.
Have all work carried out only by qualified
technicians. Contact an authorized smart
center.
GWarning!
USE SEAT BELTS PROPERLY
R Seat belts can only work when used
properly. Never wear seat belts in any
other way than as described in this
section, as that could result in serious
injuries in case of an accident.
R Each occupant should wear their seat belt
at all times, because seat belts help
reduce the likelihood of and potential
severity of injuries in accidents,
including rollovers. The integrated
restraint system includes SRS (driver
front air bag, passenger front air bag,
head-thorax air bags) and Emergency
Tensioning Devices (ETDs) with seat belt
force limiters.
The system is designed to enhance the
protection provided by secured seat
belts in certain frontal and side
impacts.
R Never wear the shoulder belt under your
arm, against your neck or off your
shoulder. Doing so may cause your body to
move too far forward in a frontal crash,
which would increase the chance of head
and neck injuries. The seat belt would
also apply too much force to the ribs or
abdomen, which could severely injure
internal organs such as your liver or
spleen.
R Never wear seat belts over rigid or
breakable objects in or on your clothing,
such as eyeglasses, pens, keys, etc., as
these might cause injuries.
R Position the lap belt as low as possible
on your hips and not across the abdomen.
If the lap seat belt is positioned across
your abdomen, it could cause serious
injuries in a crash.
R Never use a seat belt for more than one
person at a time. Do not fasten a seat belt
around a person and another person or
other objects at the same time.
R Seat belts should not be worn twisted. In
a crash, you would not have the full width
of the seat belt to manage impact forces.
The twisted seat belt against your body
could cause injuries.
R Pregnant women should also always use a
lap-shoulder belt. The lap belt portion
should be positioned as low as possible
on the hips to avoid any possible
pressure on the abdomen.
R Never place your feet on the instrument
panel, dashboard or on the seat. Always32Occupant safety>> Safety.
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keep both feet on the floor in front of the
seat.
R When using a seat belt to secure infant or
toddler restraints or children in booster
seats, always follow the child seat
manufacturer’s instructions.
Emergency Tensioning Devices (ETDs)
and seat belt force limiters
The seat belts are equipped with
Emergency Tensioning Devices and seat
belt force limiters.
Emergency Tensioning Devices are
designed to activate in the following
cases:
R in frontal or rear-end impacts
exceeding the system deployment
threshold
R if the restraint systems are operational
and functioning correctly
R in collisions with high vehicle
deceleration/acceleration in the
longitudinal direction, e.g. a head-on
collision
R on passenger side when the seat is
occupied and the seat belt is fastened
R independently of the front air bags
When activated, Emergency Tensioning
Devices remove slack from the seat belts in
such a way that the seat belts fit more
snugly against the body. Seat belt force
limiters, when activated, reduce the force
exerted by the seat belts on occupants
during a crash.
When the emergency tensioning device is
triggered, the SRS indicator lamp 0081 in
the instrument cluster illuminates, see
“SRS indicator lamp” ( Y page 151).
GWarning!
Once they have been triggered, Emergency
Tensioning Devices will no longer function
properly and must be replaced. smart
recommends that you visit a qualified
workshop to have this done. In particular,
work relevant to safety or on safety-related
systems must be carried out at a qualified
specialist workshop.
Comply with safety regulations when
disposing of Emergency Tensioning
Devices. These regulations are available at
any smart center.
The belt force limiter is designed to
operate in unison with the front air bag,
which absorbs a portion of the seat belt’s
decelerating forces, distributing the load
over a larger area.
In the event of a head-on or rear-end
collision, the emergency tensioning
device is activated if the vehicle is
decelerated or accelerated sufficiently in
the longitudinal direction at the start of
impact with the ignition switched on.
Air bags
Air bags can reduce the severity of
injuries in serious collisions, e.g. in a
head-on collision or a side impact.
GWarning!
Air bags are designed to reduce the
potential of injury in certain frontal
impacts (front air bags), or side impacts
(head-thorax air bags) which may cause
significant injuries. However, no system
available today can completely eliminate
injuries and fatalities.
The deployment of the air bags temporarily
releases a small amount of dust from the air
bags. This dust is neither injurious to your
health, nor does it indicate a fire in the
vehicle. The dust might cause some
temporary breathing difficulty for people
with asthma or other breathing trouble. To
avoid this, you may wish to get out of the
vehicle as soon as it is safe to do so. If you
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have any breathing difficulty but cannot
get out of the vehicle after the air bag
inflates, then get fresh air by opening a
window or door.GWarning!
To reduce the risk of injury when the front
air bags inflate, it is very important for
the driver and passenger to always be in a
properly seated position and to wear their
respective seat belt.
For maximum protection in the event of a
collision always be in normal seated
position with your back against the
backrest. Fasten your seat belt and ensure
it is properly positioned on your body.
Since the air bag inflates with
considerable speed and force, a proper
seating and hands on steering wheel
position will help to keep you at a safe
distance from the air bag.
Occupants who are unbelted, out of position
or too close to the air bag can be seriously
injured or killed by an air bag as it
inflates extremely quickly and with great
force:
R Sit properly belted in a position that is
as upright as possible with your back
against the seat backrest.
R Adjust the driver’s seat as far as possible
rearward, still permitting proper
operation of vehicle controls. The
distance from the center of the driver’s
breastbone to the center of the air bag
cover on the steering wheel must be at
least 10 inches (25 cm) or more. You should
be able to accomplish this by
adjustments to the seat. If you have any
problems, please contact an authorized
smart center.
R Do not lean your head or chest close to the
steering wheel or dashboard.
R Keep hands on the outside of the steering
wheel rim. Placing hands and arms inside
the rim can increase the risk and
potential severity of hand/arm injury
when the driver’s front air bag inflates.
R Adjust the passenger seat as far as
possible rearward from the dashboard
when the seat is occupied.
R Occupants, especially children, should
always sit as upright as possible,
properly use the seat belts and use an
appropriately sized infant restraint,
toddler restraint, or booster seat
recommended for the size and weight of
the child.
Failure to follow these instructions can
result in severe injuries to you or other
occupants.
If you sell your vehicle, it is important that
you make the buyer aware of this safety
information. Be sure to give the buyer this
Operator’s Manual.
i Air bags are designed to deploy only in
certain frontal impacts (front air bags),
and in side impacts (head-thorax air
bags) which exceed preset thresholds.
Only during these events will they
provide their supplemental protection.
The driver and passenger should always
wear their seat belts. Otherwise it is not
possible for air bags to provide their
supplemental protection.
In case of other types of impacts and
impacts below air bag deployment
thresholds, air bags will not deploy. The
driver and passenger will then be
protected to the extent possible by a
properly fastened seat belt. A properly
fastened seat belt is also needed to
provide the best possible protection in
a rollover.
We caution you not to rely on the presence
of the air bags in order to avoid wearing
your seat belt.34Occupant safety>> Safety.
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It is important to your safety and that of
your passenger that you replace deployed
air bags and repair any malfunctioning
air bags to make sure the vehicle will
continue to provide supplemental crash
protection for occupants.
Safety guidelines for the seat belt,
Emergency Tensioning Devices (ETDs)
and air bag GWarning!
R Damaged seat belts or seat belts that were
highly stressed in an accident must be
replaced and their anchoring points
must also be checked. Only use seat belts
installed or supplied by an authorized
smart center.
R Air bags and Emergency Tensioning
Devices (ETDs) contain Perchlorate
material, which may require special
handling and regard for the environment.
Check with your local government’s
disposal guidelines. California
residents, see http://www.dtsc.ca.gov/
HazardousWaste/Perchlorate/index.cfm .
R Given the considerable deployment
speed, required inflation volume, and
the textile structure of the air bags,
there is the possibility of abrasions or
other, potentially more serious injuries
resulting from air bag deployment.
R Air bags and Emergency Tensioning
Devices (ETDs) are designed to function
on a one-time-only basis. An air bag or
ETD that has deployed must be replaced.
R Do not pass seat belts over sharp edges.
They could tear.
R Do not make any modification that could
change the effectiveness of the seat
belts.
R No modifications of any kind may be made
to any components or wiring of the SRS.
This includes changing or removing any
component or part of the SRS, the
installation of additional trim
material, badges, etc. over the steering
wheel hub, passenger front air bag cover,
outboard sides of the seat backrests, and
installation of additional electrical/
electronic equipment on or near SRS
components and wiring. Keep area
between air bags and occupants free from
objects (e.g. packages, purses,
umbrellas, etc.).
R Do not bleach or dye seat belts as this may
severely weaken them. In a crash they may
not be able to provide adequate
protection.
R Do not hang hangers on the coat hooks or
handles over the door. These items may
turn into projectiles and cause head and
other injuries when the head-thorax air
bag is deployed.
R Air bag system components will be hot
after an air bag has inflated. Do not
touch.
R Never place your feet on the instrument
panel, dashboard, or on the seat. Always
keep both feet on the floor in front of the
seat.
R In addition, improper repair work on the
SRS creates a risk of rendering the SRS
inoperative or causing unintended air
bag deployment. Work on the SRS must
therefore only be performed by qualified
technicians. Contact an authorized smart
center.
R For your protection and the protection of
others, when scrapping the air bag unit
or Emergency Tensioning Devices (ETDs),
our safety instructions must be followed.
These instructions are available from
any authorized smart center.
How the air bag operates
The air bag is inflated in a matter of
milliseconds. If the air bag is triggered,
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the SRS indicator lamp in the instrument
cluster illuminates.
! If the air bags are activated, you will
hear a loud noise and some dust may be
generated. The explosion fundamentally
represents no risk to your hearing.
The inflated air bag slows down and
reduces the movement of the occupant. When
the occupant makes contact with the air
bag, hot gas flows out of the inflated front
air bags and head-thorax air bags. This
reduces the load on the occupant’s head and
upper body. These air bags are
consequently deflated after the accident.
Head-thorax air bags GWarning!
There is a possibility for a head-thorax air
bag related injury if occupants, especially
children, are not properly seated or
restrained when next to a head-thorax air
bag which needs to deploy rapidly in a side
impact in order to do its job.
To help avoid the possibility of injury,
please follow these guidelines:
(1)Occupants, especially children,
should never place their bodies
or lean their heads in the area of
the door where the head-thorax
air bag inflates. This could
result in serious injuries or
death should the head-thorax air
bag be deployed.(2)Always sit as upright as
possible, properly use the seat
belts, and for all children
12 years old or under, use an
appropriately sized infant
restraint, toddler restraint, or
booster seat recommended for
the size and weight of the child.(3)Always wear seat belts properly.GWarning!
Only use seat covers which have been tested
and approved by smart for your vehicle
model. Using other seat covers may
interfere with or prevent the deployment of
the head-thorax air bags. Contact an
authorized smart center for availability.
If activated, the head-thorax air bags are
intended to provide increased protection
for the head and thorax (but not arms) of the
occupants on the side of the vehicle that is
struck.
The head-thorax air bags are deployed
R on the side of the vehicle that is struck
(when passenger side is struck only if the
seat is occupied)
R at the start of an accident with high
vehicle deceleration or acceleration
acting in a lateral direction, e.g. a side
impact
R regardless of whether or not the seat belt
is in use
R independently of the front air bags
being deployed
R independently of the emergency
tensioning device
The head-thorax air bags are integrated
into the driver and passenger seat
backrests.
0046Head-thorax air bag36Occupant safety>> Safety.
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iIf the seat, including the trim cover and
cushion, needs to be serviced in any way,
take the vehicle to an authorized smart
center. Only seat accessories approved
by smart may be used.
Both driver and the passenger should
always use the 007F 007B indicator
lamp as an indication of whether or not
the passenger is properly positioned
( Y page 40).GWarning!
If the 007F 007B indicator lamp
illuminates when an adult or someone
larger than a small individual is in the
passenger seat, have the passenger re-
position himself or herself in the seat
until the 007F 007B indicator lamp
goes out.
In the event of a collision, the air bag
control unit will not allow passenger front
air bag deployment when the OCS has
classified the passenger seat occupant as
being up to or less than the weight of a
typical 12‑month‑old child in a standard
child restraint, or if the passenger seat is
sensed as being empty.
When the OCS senses that the passenger seat
occupant is classified as being up to or
less than the weight of a typical
12‑month‑old child in a standard child
restraint, the 007F 007B indicator
lamp will illuminate when the ignition is
switched on and remain illuminated,
indicating that the passenger front air bag
is deactivated.
When the OCS senses that the passenger seat
is classified as being empty, the
007F 007B indicator lamp will
illuminate and remains illuminated.
When the OCS senses that the passenger seat
occupant is classified as being heavier
than the weight of a typical 12‑month‑old
child seated in a standard child restraint
or as being a small individual (such as a
young teenager or a small adult), the
007F 007B indicator lamp will
illuminate for approximately 4 seconds
when the ignition is switched on and then,
depending on occupant weight sensor
readings from the seat, remains
illuminated or goes out.
When the 007F 007B indicator lamp is
illuminated, the passenger front air bag is
deactivated.
When the 007F 007B indicator lamp is
out and the passenger seat is occupied by
an adult or someone larger than a small
individual, the passenger front air bag is
activated.
When the OCS senses that the passenger seat
occupant is classified as an adult or
someone larger than a small individual, the
007F 007B indicator lamp will
illuminate for approximately 4 seconds
when the ignition is switched on and then
goes out, indicating that the passenger
front air bag is activated.
If the 007F 007B indicator lamp is
illuminated, the passenger front air bag is
deactivated and will not be deployed.
If the 007F 007B indicator lamp is not
illuminated, the passenger front air bag is
activated and will be deployed
R in the event of certain frontal impacts
R if impact exceeds a preset deployment
threshold
R independently of the head-thorax air
bags
If the passenger front air bag is deployed,
the rate of inflation will be influenced by
R the rate of vehicle deceleration and a
fastened or unfastened seat belt as
assessed by the air bag control unit
R the passenger’s weight category as
identified by the OCS38Occupant safety>> Safety.
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GWarning!
Children 12 years old and under must be
seated and properly secured in an
appropriate infant or child restraint
recommended for the size and weight of the
child.
The infant or child restraint must be
properly secured with the vehicle’s seat
belt, fully in accordance with the child
seat manufacturer’s instructions.
Children can be killed or seriously injured
by an inflating air bag. Note the following
important information:
R Your vehicle is equipped with air bag
technology designed to turn off the
passenger front air bag in your vehicle
when the system senses the weight of a
typical 12‑month‑old child or less along
with the weight of a standard
appropriate child restraint on the
passenger seat.
R A child in a rear-facing child restraint
on the passenger seat will be seriously
injured or even killed if the passenger
front air bag inflates in a collision
which could occur under some
circumstances, even with the air bag
technology installed in your vehicle.
R If you install a rear-facing child
restraint on the passenger seat, make
sure the 007F 007B indicator lamp
is illuminated, indicating that the
passenger front air bag is deactivated.
Should the 007F 007B indicator
lamp not illuminate or go out while the
restraint is installed, please check
installation.
Periodically check the 007F 007B
indicator lamp while driving to make
sure the 007F 007B indicator lamp
is illuminated.
If the 007F 007B indicator lamp
goes out or remains out, do not transport
a child on the passenger seat until the
system has been repaired.
A child in a rear-facing child restraint
on the passenger seat may be seriously
injured or even killed if the passenger
front air bag inflates.
R If you place a child in a forward-facing
child restraint on the passenger seat,
move the seat as far back as possible, use
the proper child restraint recommended
for the age, size and weight of the child
by the seat manufacturer, and secure
child restraint with the vehicle’s seat
belt according to the child seat
manufacturer’s instructions. For
children larger than the typical
12‑month‑old child, the passenger front
air bag may or may not be activated.
i Deployment of the driver front air bag
does not mean that the passenger front
air bag also should have deployed.
The Occupant Classification System
( Y page 37) may have determined
R that the seat was empty or occupied by the
weight up to or less than that of a typical
12‑month‑old child seated in a standard
child restraint — both instances where
the system suppresses deployment of the
passenger front air bag even though the
impact met the criteria and was of
sufficient severity to deploy the driver
front air bag
R that the seat was occupied by a small
individual (such as a young teenager or
a small adult) or a child weighing more
than the weight of a typical 12‑month‑old
child in a standard child restraint —
instances where the system may suppress
deployment of the passenger front air
bag even though the impact met the
criteria and was of sufficient severity
to deploy the driver front air bagOccupant safety39>> Safety.451_AKB; 3; 22, en-USd2ureepe,Version: 2.11.8.12009-07-27T09:36:34+02:00 - Seite 39Z
Passenger front air bag off indicator
lamp
The indicator lamp is located on the
overhead control panel.
Passenger front air bag off indicator
lamp 0046 illuminates when the passenger
front air bag is deactivated.
GWarning!
When the SRS indicator lamp 0081 and the
007F 007B indicator lamp are lit at
the same time, there is a malfunction in the
Occupant Classification System.
In order to ensure proper operation of the
air bag system and OCS:
R Have the system checked as soon as
possible by qualified technicians.
Contact an authorized smart center.
R Sit properly belted in a position that is
as upright as possible with your back
against the seat backrest.
R Do not lean on the armrests or lift
yourself from the seat by using the handle
over the door as this may cause the OCS to
be unable to correctly approximate the
occupant weight category.
R Only have the seat repaired or replaced
by an authorized smart center.
R Read and observe all warnings in this
chapter.
Self-test Occupant Classification
System
After turning the key in the starter switch
to position 1 or 2, the 007F 007B
indicator lamp located in the center
console illuminates. If an adult occupant
is properly sitting on the passenger seat
and the system senses the occupant as being
an adult, the 007F 007B indicator
lamp will illuminate and go out after
approximately 4 seconds.
If the seat is not occupied and the system
senses the passenger seat as being empty,
the 007F 007B indicator lamp will
illuminate and not go out.
GWarning!
If the 007F 007B indicator lamp does
not illuminate immediately after starting
the engine, the system is not functioning.
You must contact an authorized smart center
before seating any child on the passenger
seat.
More information can be found in the
“Practical hints” section ( Y page 159).
GWarning!
Never place anything between seat cushion
and child seat (e.g. pillow), since it
reduces the effectiveness of the Occupant
Classification System. The bottom of the
child seat must make full contact with the
passenger seat cushion. An incorrectly
mounted child seat could cause injuries to
the child in case of an accident, instead of
increasing protection for the child.
Follow the manufacturer’s instructions for
installation of child seats.
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