VII
121
CHILD SAFETY
*
According to country and current
local legislation.
ADVICE ON CHILD SEATS
Installing a booster seat
The chest part of the seat belt must
be positioned on the child's shoul-
der without touching the neck.
Ensure that the lap part of the
seat belt passes correctly over the
child's thighs.
CITROËN recommends the use of
a booster seat which has a back,
fi tted with a seat belt guide at
shoulder level.
As a safety precaution, do not leave:
- one or more children alone and
unsupervised in a vehicle,
- a child or an animal in a vehicle
which is exposed to the sun, with
the windows closed,
- the keys within reach of children
inside the vehicle.
To prevent accidental opening of the
doors, use the "Child lock".
Take care not to open the rear win-
dows by more than one third.
To protect young children from the
rays of the sun, fi t side blinds on the
rear windows.
The incorrect installation of a child
seat in a vehicle compromises the
child's protection in the event of an
accident.
When installing a child seat using the
seat belt, check that the seat belt is
tightened correctly on the child seat
and that it secures the child seat
fi rmly on the seat of your vehicle.
Remember to fasten the seat belts or
the child seat harnesses keeping the
slack
in relation to the child's body to
a minimum, even for short journeys.
For optimum installation of the "for-
wards-facing" child seat, ensure
that the back of the child seat is in
contact with the back of the vehicle's
seat and that the head restraint does
not cause any discomfort.
If the head restraint has to be re-
moved, ensure that it is stored or
attached securely to prevent it from
being thrown around the vehicle in
the event of sharp braking. Children under the age of 10 must
not travel in the "forwards-facing"
position on the front passenger seat,
unless the rear seats are already oc-
cupied by other children, cannot be
used or are absent.
Deactivate the passenger airbag *
when a "rearwards-facing" child
seat is installed on the front seat.
Otherwise, the child would risk be-
ing seriously injured or killed if the
airbag were to infl ate.
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134
SAFETY
The driver must ensure that passen-
gers use the seat belts correctly and
that they are all restrained securely
before setting off.
Wherever you are seated in the ve-
hicle, always fasten your seat belt,
even for short journeys.
Do not interchange the seat belt
buckles as they will not fulfi l their
role fully.
The seat belts are fi tted with an inertia
reel permitting automatic adjustment
of the length of the strap to your size.
The seat belt is stowed automatically
when not in use.
Before and after use, ensure that the
seat belt is reeled in correctly.
The lower part of the strap must be
positioned as low as possible on the
pelvis.
The upper part must be positioned
in the hollow of the shoulder.
The inertia reels are fi tted with an
automatic locking device which
comes into operation in the event
of a collision, emergency braking or
if the vehicle rolls over. You can re-
lease the device by pulling fi rmly on
the strap and releasing it so that it
reels in slightly. In order to be effective, a seat belt
must:
- be tightened as close to the body
as possible,
- be pulled in front of you with a
smooth movement, checking
that it does not twist,
-
be used to restrain only one person,
- not bear any trace of cuts or fraying,
- not be converted or modifi ed to
avoid affecting its performance.
Recommendations for children
Use a suitable child seat if the pas-
senger is less than 12 years old or
shorter than one and a half metres.
Never use the same seat belt to se-
cure more than one person.
Never allow a child to travel on your
lap.
In accordance with current safety
regulations, for all repairs on your
vehicle, go to a qualifi ed workshop
with the skills and equipment need-
ed, which a CITROËN dealer is able
to provide.
Have your seat belts checked regu-
larly by a CITROËN dealer or a
qualifi ed workshop, particularly if the
straps show signs of damage.
Clean the seat belt straps with soapy
water or a textile cleaning product,
sold by CITROËN dealers.
After folding or moving a seat or rear
bench seat, ensure that the seat belt
is positioned and reeled in correctly.
In the event of an impact
Depending on the nature and se-
riousness of the impact
, the pre-
tensioning device may be deployed
before and independently of the
airbags. Deployment of the preten-
sioners is accompanied by a slight
discharge of harmless smoke and
a noise, due to the activation of the
pyrotechnic cartridge incorporated
in the system.
In all cases, the airbag warning lamp
comes on.
Following an impact, have the seat
belts system checked, and if neces-
sary replaced, by a CITROËN dealer
or a qualifi ed workshop.
VIII
135
SAFETY
AIRBAGS
System designed to maximise the
safety of the occupants (with the
exception of the rear centre pas-
senger) in the event of violent col-
lisions. It supplements the action of
the force-limiting seat belts.
If a collision occurs, the electronic
detectors record and analyse the
front and side impacts sustained in
the impact detection zones:
- in the case of a serious impact,
the airbags are deployed instantly
and protect the occupants of the
vehicle (with the exception of the
rear centre passenger); imme-
diately after the impact, the air-
bags defl ate rapidly so that they
do not hinder visibility or the exit
of the occupants,
- in the case of a minor or rear im-
pact or in certain roll-over con-
ditions, the airbags will not be
deployed; the seat belt alone
is suffi cient to provide optimum
protection in these situations.
The airbags do not operate
when the ignition is switched
off.
This equipment will only operate
once. If a second impact occurs
(during the same or a subsequent ac-
cident), the airbag will not operate.
Impact detection zones
A.
Front impact zone.
B.
Side impact zone.
Deployment of the airbag(s) is ac-
companied by a slight emission of
harmless smoke and a noise, due to
the activation of the pyrotechnic car-
tridge incorporated in the system.
This smoke is not harmful, but sen-
sitive individuals may experience
slight irritation.
The noise of the detonation may
result in a slight loss of hearing for
a short time.
Front airbags
System which protects the head and
chest of the driver and front passen-
ger in the event of a front impact.
The driver's airbag is fi tted in the
centre of the steering wheel; the
front passenger's airbag is fi tted in
the dashboard above the glove box.
Deployment
The airbags are deployed simultane-
ously, unless the passenger's front
airbag is deactivated, in the event of
a serious front impact applied to all
or part of the front impact zone A
,
in the longitudinal centreline of the
vehicle on a horizontal plane and di-
rected from the front to the rear of
the vehicle.
The front airbag infl ates between the
front occupant of the vehicle and the
dashboard to cushion their forward
movement.
VIII
136
SAFETY
Deactivation
This warning lamp comes on
in the instrument panel when
the ignition is on and until the
airbag is reactivated.
To ensure the safety of your child,
it is imperative that the passenger
airbag is deactivated when you in-
stall a "rearwards-facing" child seat
on the front passenger seat.
Otherwise, the child would risk be-
ing seriously injured or killed if the
airbag were deployed.
Activation
When you remove the child seat,
turn switch 1
to the "ON"
position to
reactivate the airbag and so ensure
the safety of your front passenger in
the event of an impact.
Operating fault
If this warning lamp comes
on on the instrument panel,
accompanied by an audible
warning and a message in
the multifunction screen, contact a
CITROËN dealer or a qualifi ed work-
shop to have the system checked. The
airbags may no longer be deployed in
the event of a serious impact. Only the front passenger's airbag
can be deactivated:
)
with the ignition off
, insert the
key in the passenger airbag de-
activation switch 1
,
)
turn it to the "OFF"
position,
)
then, remove the key keeping
the switch in this position.
If this warning lamp fl ashes,
contact a CITROËN dealer
or a qualifi ed workshop.
If both airbag warning lamps come
on continuously, do not install a
"rearwards-facing" child seat on
the front passenger seat.
Have it checked by a CITROËN
dealer or a qualifi ed workshop.
VIII
137
SAFETY
*
According to country.
Lateral airbags *
System which protects the driver
and front passenger in the event of
a serious side impact in order to limit
the risk of injury to the chest.
Each lateral airbag is fi tted in the
front seat back frame, on the door
side.
Operation
It is deployed unilaterally in the
event of a serious side impact ap-
plied to all or part of the side impact
zone B
, perpendicular to the longi-
tudinal centreline of the vehicle on
a horizontal plane and directed from
the outside towards the inside of the
vehicle.
The lateral airbag infl ates between
the front occupant of the vehicle and
the corresponding door trim panel.
Impact detection zones
A.
Front impact zone.
B.
Side impact zone.
Curtain airbags *
System which protects the driver and
passengers (with the exception of the
rear centre passenger) in the event
of a serious side impact in order to
limit the risk of head injuries.
Each curtain airbag is fi tted in the
pillars and the upper part of the pas-
senger compartment.
Operation
It is deployed at the same time as
the corresponding lateral airbag in
the event of a serious side impact
applied to all or part of the side im-
pact zone B
, perpendicular to the
longitudinal centreline of the vehicle
on a horizontal plane and directed
from the outside towards the inside
of the vehicle.
The curtain airbag infl ates between
the front or rear occupant of the ve-
hicle and the windows.
In the event of a minor impact or
bump on the side of the vehicle or
if the vehicle rolls over, the airbag
may not be deployed.
The airbag is not deployed in the
event of a rear or front collision.
If this warning lamp comes
on in the instrument panel,
accompanied by an audible
signal and a message on
the multifunction screen, contact a
CITROËN dealer or a qualifi ed work-
shop to have the system checked. The
airbags may no longer be deployed in
the event of a serious impact.
Operating fault
* According to country.
VIII
138
SAFETY
For the airbags to be fully
effective, observe the following
safety rules:
Front airbags
Do not drive holding the steering
wheel by its spokes or resting your
hands on the centre part of the
wheel.
Passengers must not place their feet
on the dashboard.
If possible, do not smoke as deploy-
ment of the airbags can cause burns
or the risk of injury from a cigarette
or pipe.
Never remove or pierce the steering
wheel or hit it violently.
Lateral airbags
Use only approved covers on the seats,
compatible with the deployment the
lateral airbags. For information on the
range of seat covers suitable for your
vehicle, you can contact a CITROËN
dealer (see "Practical information - §
Accessories").
Do not fi x or attach anything to the
seat backs (clothing...). This could
cause injury to the chest or arms if
the lateral airbag is deployed.
Do not sit with the upper part of the
body any nearer to the door than
necessary.
Curtain airbags
Do not fi x or attach anything to the
roof. This could cause injury to the
head if the curtain airbag is de-
ployed.
If fi tted on your vehicle, do not re-
move the grab handles installed on
the roof, they play a part in securing
the curtain airbags.
Sit in a normal upright position.
Wear a correctly adjusted seat belt.
Do not leave anything between the
occupants and the airbags (a child,
pet, object...). This could hamper
the operation of the airbags or injure
the occupants.
After an accident or if the vehicle
has been stolen or broken into, have
the airbag systems checked.
All work on the airbag system must
be carried out by a CITROËN dealer
or a qualifi ed workshop.
Even if all of the precautions men-
tioned are observed, a risk of injury
or of minor burns to the head, chest
or arms when an airbag is deployed
cannot be ruled out. The bag infl ates
almost instantly (within a few mil-
liseconds) then defl ates within the
same time discharging the hot gas
via openings provided for this pur-
pose.