01 Safety
Occupant Weight Sensor 01
26
General information
2
2
G017724
Occupant Weight Sensor (OWS) indicator light
Disabling the passenger's side front
airbag
Volvo recommends that ALL occupants (adults
and children) shorter than 4 feet 7 inches
(140 cm) be seated in the back seat of any
vehicle with a front passenger side airbag, and
be properly restrained for their size and weight.
For child safety recommendations,see
page 37.
The Occupant Weight Sensor (OWS) is
designed to meet the regulatory requirements
of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard
(FMVSS) 208 and is designed to disable (will
not inflate) the passenger's side front airbag
under certain conditions.The OWS works with sensors that are part of
the front passenger's seat and seat belt. The
sensors are designed to detect the presence of
a properly seated occupant and determine if
the passenger's side front airbag should be
enabled (may inflate) or disabled (will not
inflate).
The OWS will disable (will not inflate) the pas-
senger's side front airbag when:
•the front passenger's seat is unoccupied,
or has small/medium objects in the front
seat,
•the system determines that an infant is
present in a rear-facing infant seat that is
installed according to the manufacturer's
instructions,
•the system determines that a small child is
present in a forward-facing child restraint
that is installed according to the manufac-
turer's instructions,
•the system determines that a small child is
present in a booster seat,
•a front passenger takes his/her weight off
of the seat for a period of time,
•a child or a small person occupies the front
passenger's seat.
The OWS uses a PASSENGER AIRBAG OFF
indicator lamp which will illuminate and stay on
to remind you that the passenger's side frontairbag is disabled. The PASSENGER AIRBAG
OFF indicator lamp is located in the overhead
console, near the base of the rearview mirror.
NOTE
When the ignition is switched on, the OWS
indicator light will go on for up to 10 seconds
while the system performs a self-diagnostic
test.
However, if a fault is detected in the system:
•The OWS indicator light will stay on
•The SRS warning light (see page 21) will
come on and stay on
•The message Pass. Airbag OFF Service
urgen-64 will be displayed in the informa-
tion display.
WARNING
If a fault in the system is detected and indi-
cated as described, be aware that the pas-
senger's side front airbag will not deploy in
the event of a collision. In this case, the SRS
system and Occupant Weight Sensor
should be inspected by a trained and quali-
fied Volvo service technician as soon as
possible.
01 Safety
Occupant Weight Sensor01
29
WARNING
•Do not place any type of object on the
front passenger's seat in such a way
that jamming, pressing, or squeezing
occurs between the object and the front
seat, other than as a direct result of the
correct use of the Automatic Locking
Retractor/Emergency Locking Retrac-
tor (ALR/ELR) seat belt (see page 37).
•No objects should be placed under the
front passenger's seat. This could inter-
fere with the OWS system's function.
01 Safety
Inflatable Curtain (IC) 01
32
General information
This system consists of inflatable curtains
located along the sides of the roof liners,
stretching from the center of both front side
windows to the rear edge of the rear side door
windows. It is designed to help protect the
heads of the occupants of the front seats and
the occupant of the outboard rear seating posi-
tions in certain side impact collisions.
In certain side impacts, both the Inflatable Cur-
tain (IC) and the Side Impact Airbag System
(SIPS airbag) will deploy. The IC and the SIPS
airbag deploy simultaneously.
NOTE
If the inflatable curtain deploys, it remains
inflated for approximately 3 seconds.
WARNING
•The IC system is a supplement to the
Side Impact Protection System. It is not
designed to deploy during collisions
from the rear of the vehicle or in rollover
situations.
•Never try to open or repair any compo-
nents of the IC system. This should be
done only by a trained and qualified
Volvo service technician.
•Never hang heavy items from the ceiling
handles. This could impede deployment
of the Inflatable Curtain.
•The rear seat should not be loaded to a
level higher than 2 in. (5 cm) below the
upper edge of the rear side windows.
Objects placed higher than this level
could impede the function of the Inflat-
able Curtain.
WARNING
In order for the IC to provide its best pro-
tection, both front seat occupants and both
outboard rear seat occupants should sit in
an upright position with the seat belt prop-
erly fastened; adults using the seat belt and
children using the proper child restraint sys-
tem. Only adults should sit in the front seats.
Children must never be allowed in the front
passenger seat, see page 37 for guide-
lines. Failure to follow these instructions can
result in injury to the vehicle occupants in an
accident.
01 Safety
Child safety 01
36
Children should be seated safely
Volvo recommends the proper use of restraint
systems for all occupants including children.
Remember that, regardless of age and size, a
child should always be properly restrained in a
vehicle.
Your vehicle is also equipped with ISOFIX/
LATCH attachments, which make it more con-
venient to install child seats.
Some restraint systems for children are
designed to be secured in the vehicle by lap
belts or the lap portion of a lap-shoulder belt.
Such child restraint systems can help protect
children in vehicles in the event of an accident
only if they are used properly. However, chil-
dren could be endangered in a crash if the child
restraints are not properly secured in the vehi-
cle. Failure to follow the installation instructions
for your child restraint can result in your child
striking the vehicle's interior in a sudden stop.
Holding a child in your arms is NOT a suitable
substitute for a child restraint system. In an
accident, a child held in a person's arms can
be crushed between the vehicle's interior and
an unrestrained person. The child could also be
injured by striking the interior, or by being ejec-
ted from the vehicle during a sudden maneuver
or impact. The same can also happen if the
infant or child rides unrestrained on the seat.
Other occupants should also be properlyrestrained to help reduce the chance of injuring
or increasing the injury of a child.
All states and provinces have legislation gov-
erning how and where children should be car-
ried in a vehicle. Find out the regulations exist-
ing in your state or province. Recent accident
statistics have shown that children are safer in
rear seating positions than front seating posi-
tions when properly restrained. A child restraint
system can help protect a child in a vehicle.
Here's what to look for when selecting a child
restraint system:
It should have a label certifying that it meets
applicable Federal Motor Vehicle Safety
Standards (FMVSS 213) – or in Canada,
CMVSS 213.
Make sure the child restraint system is
approved for the child's height, weight and
development – the label required by the stand-
ard or regulation, or instructions for infant
restraints, typically provide this information.
In using any child restraint system, we urge you
to carefully look over the instructions that are
provided with the restraint. Be sure you under-
stand them and can use the device properly
and safely in this vehicle. A misused child
restraint system can result in increased injuries
for both the infant or child and other occupants
in the vehicle.When a child has outgrown the child safety
seat, you should use the rear seat with the
standard seat belt fastened. The best way to
help protect the child here is to place the child
on a cushion so that the seat belt is properly
located on the hips (see the illustration on page
45). Legislation in your state or province may
mandate the use of a child seat or cushion in
combination with the seat belt, depending on
the child's age and/or size. Please check local
regulations.
A specially designed and tested booster cush-
ion and backrest can be obtained from your
Volvo retailer.
USA: for children weighing 33 – 80 lbs.
(15 – 36 kg) and 38 – 54 inches (97 – 137 cm)
in height
Canada: for children weighing 40 – 80 lbs.
(18 – 36 kg) and 40 – 54 inches (102 – 137 cm)
in height
01 Safety
Child safety01
37
WARNING
•Do not use child safety seats or child
booster cushions/backrests in the front
passenger's seat. We also recommend
that children under 4 feet 7 inches
(140 cm) in height who have outgrown
these devices sit in the rear seat with the
seat belt fastened.
•Keep vehicle doors and trunk locked
and keep remote controls out of a
child’s reach. Unsupervised children
could lock themselves in an open trunk
and risk injury. Children should be
taught not to play in vehicles.
•On hot days, the temperature in the
vehicle interior can rise very quickly.
Exposure to these high temperatures
for even a short period of time can
cause heat-related injury or death.
Small children are particularly at risk.
Child seat should always be registered. See
page 38 for more information.
Automatic Locking Retractor/
Emergency Locking Retractor (ALR/
ELR)
To make child seat installation easier, each
seat belt (except for the driver's belt) is equip-
ped with a locking mechanism to help keep the
seat belt taut.
When attaching the seat belt to a child
seat:
1. Attach the seat belt to the child seat
according to the child seat manufacturer's
instructions.
2. Pull the seat belt out as far as possible.
3. Insert the seat belt latch plate into the
buckle (lock) in the usual way.
4. Release the seat belt and pull it taut around
the child seat.
A sound from the seat belt retractor will be
audible at this time and is normal. The belt will
now be locked in place. This function is auto-
matically disabled when the seat belt is
unlocked and the belt is fully retracted.
WARNING
Do not use child safety seats or child
booster cushions/backrests in the front
passenger's seat. We also recommend that
children who have outgrown these devices
sit in the rear seat with the seat belt properly
fastened.
Volvo's recommendations
Why does Volvo believe that no child should sit
in the front seat of a car? It's quite simple really.
A front airbag is a very powerful device
designed, by law, to help protect an adult.
Because of the size of the airbag and its speed
of inflation, a child should never be placed in
the front seat, even if he or she is properly bel-
ted or strapped into a child safety seat. Volvo
has been an innovator in safety for over sev-
enty-five years, and we'll continue to do our
part. But we need your help. Please remember
to put your children in the back seat, and
buckle them up.
Volvo has some very specific
recommendations:
•Always wear your seat belt.
•Airbags are a SUPPLEMENTAL safety
device which, when used with a three-
point seat belt can help reduce serious
injuries during certain types of accidents.
01 Safety
Child restraint systems01
39 Child restraints
G022840
Infant seat
There are three main types of child restraint
systems: infant seats, convertible seats, and
booster cushions. They are classified accord-
ing to the child's age and size.
The following section provides general infor-
mation on securing a child restraint using a
three-point seat belt. Refer to page 46–47
for information on securing a child restraint
using ISOFIX/LATCH lower anchors and/or top
tether anchorages.
G022847
Convertible seat
WARNING
A child seat should never be used in the
front passenger seat of any vehicle with a
front passenger airbag – not even if the
"Passenger airbag off" symbol near the
rear-view mirror is illuminated (on vehicles
equipped with Occupant Weight Sensor). If
the severity of an accident were to cause the
airbag to inflate, this could lead to serious
injury or death to a child seated in this posi-
tion.
G023269
Booster cushion
WARNING
Always refer to the child restraint manufac-
turer's instructions for detailed information
on securing the restraint.
01 Safety
Infant seats01
41 Securing an infant seat with a seat belt
G022844
Do not place the infant seat in the front passeng-
er's seat
NOTE
Refer to page 46–47 for information on
securing a child restraint using ISOFIX/
LATCH lower anchors and/or top tether
anchorages.
1. Place the infant seat in the rear seat of the
vehicle.
2. Attach the seat belt to the infant seat
according to the manufacturer's instruc-
tions.
G023270
Positioning the seat belt through the infant seat
WARNING
•An infant seat must be in the rear-facing
position only.
•The infant seat should not be positioned
behind the driver's seat unless there is
adequate space for safe installation.
WARNING
A child seat should never be used in the
front passenger seat of any vehicle with a
front passenger airbag – not even if the
"Passenger airbag off" symbol near the
rear-view mirror is illuminated (on vehicles
equipped with Occupant Weight Sensor). If
the severity of an accident were to cause the
airbag to inflate, this could lead to serious
injury or death to a child seated in this posi-
tion.
3. Fasten the seat belt by inserting the latch
plate into the buckle (lock) until a distinct
click is audible.
G023271
Fasten the seat belt
01 Safety
Convertible seats01
43 Securing a convertible seat with a seat
belt
G018630
Do not place the convertible seat in the front pas-
senger's seat
NOTE
Refer to pages 46 and 47 for information
on securing a child restraint using ISOFIX/
LATCH lower anchors and/or top tether
anchorages.
Convertible seats can be used in either a for-
ward or rearward-facing position, depending
on the age and size of the child.
G022847
Route the seat belt through the convertible seat
WARNING
Always use a convertible seat that is suita-
ble for the child's age and size. See the con-
vertible seat manufacturer's recommenda-
tions.
1. Place the convertible seat in the rear seat
of the vehicle.
WARNING
•A small child's head represents a con-
siderable part of its total weight and its
neck is still very weak. Volvo recom-
mends that children up to age 4 travel,
properly restrained, facing rearward. In
addition, Volvo recommends that chil-
dren should ride rearward facing, prop-
erly restrained, as long as possible.
•Convertible child seats should be instal-
led in the rear seat only.
•A rear-facing convertible seat should not
be positioned behind the driver's seat
unless there is adequate space for safe
installation.
2. Attach the seat belt to the convertible seat
according to the manufacturer's instruc-
tions.