19
Safe driving
WARNING
● If pieces of luggage or other objects are secured to the fastening
rings with inappropriate or damaged retaining cords, injuries could be
sustained in the event of braking manoeuvres or accidents.
● To prevent pieces of luggage or other objects from flying forward, al-
ways use appropriate retaining cords which are secured to the fastening
rings.
● Never secure a child seat on the fastening rings.
Safety FirstOperating instructionsPractical TipsTechnical specifications
21
Seat belts
– Instruct your passengers to fasten their seat belts properly be-
fore driving off.
– Protect children by using a child seat according to the child's
height and weight.
After the ignition has been switched on, the warning lamp on the instru-
ment panel lights up 1)
if the driver has not fastened his/her seat belt. An
audible warning is heard if the vehicle is driven at more than 30 km/h (18
mph).
The warning lamp* is switched off if the driver seat belt is fastened while
the ignition is switched on.
Indication of the state of the seat belts in the rear seats.
The seat belt status display ⇒ Fig. 7 on the instrument panel informs the
driver, when the ignition is switched on, whether the passengers in the rear
seats have fastened their seat belts. The symbol indicates that the pas-
senger in this seat has fastened “his or her” seat belt.
When a seat belt in the rear seats is fastened or unfastened, the seat belt
status is displayed for approx. 30 seconds. The indication can be hidden by
pressing the 0.0/SET
button on the dash panel.
The seat belt status flashes for a maximum of 30 seconds when a seat belt
in the rear seats is unfastened while the vehicle is in motion. An audible
warning will also be heard if the vehicle is travelling at over 25 km/h
(15 mph).
1)
Depending on the model version
Safety FirstOperating instructionsPractical TipsTechnical specifications
23
Seat belts
Vehicle occupants not wearing seat belts are not “attached” to the vehicle.
In a head-on collision, they will move forward at the same speed their vehi-
cle was travelling just before the impact. This example applies not only to
head-on collisions, but to all accidents and collisions.
The danger of not using the seat belt
The general belief that the passengers can protect them-
selves with their hands in a minor collision is false.
Fig. 10 A driver not
wearing a seat belt is
thrown forward violently
Fig. 11 The unbelted
passenger in the rear
seat is thrown forward vi-
olently, hitting the driver
wearing a seat belt
Even at low speeds the forces acting on the body in a collision are so great
that it is not possible to brace oneself with one's hands. In a frontal colli-
sion, unbelted vehicle occupants are thrown forward and will make violent
contact with the steering wheel, dash panel, windscreen or whatever else is
in the way ⇒ Fig. 10.
The airbag system is not a substitute for seat belts. When triggered, airbags
provide only additional protection. All occupants (including the driver) must
wear seat belts properly at all times during the trip. This will reduce the risk
of severe injuries in the event of an accident – regardless of whether an air-
bag is fitted for the seat or not.
Note that airbags can be triggered only once. To achieve the best possible
protection, the seat belt must always be worn properly so that you will be
protected in accidents in which no airbag is deployed.
It is also important for the rear passengers to wear seat belts properly, as
they could otherwise be thrown forward violently through the vehicle interi-
or in an accident. Passengers in the rear seats who do not use seat belts
endanger not only themselves but also the front occupants ⇒ Fig. 11.
Safety FirstOperating instructionsPractical TipsTechnical specifications
25
Seat belts
WARNING
● If the seat belts are worn incorrectly or not at all, the risk of severe
injuries increases. The optimal protection from seat belts can be ach-
ieved only if you use them properly.
● Fasten your seat belt before every trip - even when driving in town.
The other vehicle occupants must also wear the seat belts at all times,
otherwise they run the risk of being injured.
● The seat belt cannot offer its full protection if the seat belt is not
positioned correctly.
● Never allow two passengers (even children) to share the same seat
belt.
● Always keep both feet in the footwell in front of your seat as long as
the vehicle is in motion.
● Never unbuckle a seat belt while the vehicle is in motion. Risk of fatal
injury.
● The seat belt must never be twisted while it is being worn.
● The seat belt should never lie on hard or fragile objects (such as
glasses or pens, etc.) because this can cause injuries.
● Do not allow the seat belt to be damaged or jammed, or to rub on any
sharp edges.
● Never wear the seat belt under the arm or in any other incorrect posi-
tion.
● Loose, bulky clothing (such as an overcoat over a jacket) impairs the
proper fit and function of the seat belts, reducing their capacity to pro-
tect.
● The slot in the seat belt buckle must not be blocked with paper or
other objects, as this can prevent the latch plate from engaging securely.
● Never use seat belt clips, fastening rings or similar instruments to al-
ter the position of the belt webbing.WARNING (Continued)
● Frayed or torn seat belts or damage to the connections, belt retrac-
tors or parts of the buckle could cause severe injuries in the event of an
accident. Therefore, you must check the condition of all seat belts at reg-
ular intervals.
● Seat belts which have been worn in an accident and stretched must
be replaced by a specialised workshop. Renewal may be necessary even
if there is no apparent damage. The belt anchorage should also be
checked.
● Do not attempt to repair a damaged seat belt yourself. The seat belts
must not be removed or modified in any way.
● The belts must be kept clean, otherwise the retractors may not work
properly.
Safety FirstOperating instructionsPractical TipsTechnical specifications
27
Seat belts
Seat belt position
Seat belts offer their maximum protection only when they
are properly positioned.
Fig. 14 Correct seat belt
and head restraint posi-
tions, viewed from front
Fig. 15 Correct seat belt
and head restraint posi-
tions, viewed from side The following features are available to adjust the seat belt in the shoulder
region:
●
front seat height adjustment*.
WARNING
● An incorrectly worn seat belt can cause severe injuries in the event of
an accident.
● The shoulder part of the seat belt must lie on the centre of the shoul-
der, never across the neck. The seat belt must lie flat and snugly on the
torso ⇒ Fig. 14.
● The lap part of the seat belt must lie across the pelvis, never across
the stomach. The seat belt must lie flat and snugly on the pelvis
⇒ Fig. 15. Pull the belt tight if necessary to take up any slack.
● Read and observe the warnings ⇒ page 24.
Safety FirstOperating instructionsPractical TipsTechnical specifications
29
Seat belts
– Guide the belt back by hand so that it rolls up easily and the
trim is not damaged.
WARNING
Never unbuckle a seat belt while the vehicle is in motion. If you do, you
increase the risk of sustaining severe or fatal injuries.
Incorrectly fastened seat belts
Incorrectly worn seat belts can cause severe or even mortal
injuries. Seat belts can provide optimal protection only if the belt web is
properly worn. The seat belts must be fastened exactly in the order
described in this chapter. An incorrect sitting position impairs sub-
stantially the protection a seat belt offers and can lead to severe or
fatal injuries. The risk of severe or fatal injuries is especially in-
creased when a deploying airbag strikes a vehicle occupant who
has assumed an incorrect sitting position. As the driver, you are re-
sponsible for yourself and all passengers, especially children.
Therefore:
– Never allow anyone to wear the seat belt incorrectly while the
vehicle is moving ⇒
.
WARNING
● An incorrectly worn seat belt increases the risk of severe injuries.
● Before every trip, instruct your passengers to adjust their seat belts
properly and to wear them for the whole journey.
● Read and always observe information and warnings concerning the
use of seat belts ⇒ page 24.
Seat belt tensioners
Function of the seat belt tensioner
During a frontal collision, the seat belts on the front seats
are retracted automatically. The seat belts for the occupants in the front seats are equipped with belt
tensioners. Sensors will only trigger the belt tensioners during severe head-
on, lateral and rear collisions, and only if the seat belt is actually being
worn. This retracts and tightens the seat belts, reducing the forward motion
of the occupants.
The seat belt tensioner can be triggered only once.
The seat belt tensioners will not be triggered in the event of a light frontal,
side or rear collision, if the vehicle overturns or in situations where no large
forces act on the front, side or rear of the vehicle.
Safety FirstOperating instructionsPractical TipsTechnical specifications
31
Airbag system
Airbag system
Brief introduction Why wear a seat belt and assume the correct sitting
position?
For the inflating airbags to achieve the best protection, the
seat belt must always be worn properly and the correct sit-
ting position must be assumed.For your own safety and the safety of the passengers, please en-
sure the following before driving:
– Always wear the seat belt properly ⇒ page 20.
– Adjust the driver seat and the steering wheel correctly
⇒ page 11.
– Adjust the front passenger seat correctly ⇒ page 12.
– Adjust the head restraint correctly ⇒ page 14.
– Use the correct child restraint system to protect children in your
vehicle ⇒ page 48.
The airbag is deployed at high speed in fractions of a second. If you have an
incorrect seating position at the time the airbag is deployed, it could cause
you critical injuries. Therefore, it is essential that all vehicle occupants as-
sume a correct sitting position while travelling.
Sharp braking before an accident may cause a passenger not wearing a seat
belt to be thrown forward into the area of the deploying airbag. In this case, the inflating airbag may inflict critical or fatal injuries on the occupant. This
also applies to children.
Always maintain the greatest possible distance between yourself and the
front airbag. This way, the front airbags can completely deploy when trig-
gered, providing their maximum protection.
The most important factors that will trigger an airbag are: the type of acci-
dent, the angle of collision and the speed of the vehicle.
Whether the airbags are triggered depends primarily on the vehicle deceler-
ation rate resulting from the collision and detected by the control unit. If the
vehicle deceleration occurring during the collision and measured by the
control unit remains below the specified reference values, the front, side
and/or curtain airbag will not be triggered. Take into account that the visible
damage in a vehicle involved in an accident, no matter how serious, is not a
determining factor for the airbags to have been triggered.
WARNING
● Wearing the seat belt incorrectly or assuming an incorrect sitting po-
sition can lead to critical or fatal injuries.
● All vehicle occupants, including children, who are not properly belted
can sustain critical or fatal injuries if the airbag is triggered. Children up
to 12 years old should always travel on the rear seat. Never transport
children in the vehicle if they are not restrained or the restraint system is
not appropriate for their age, size or weight.
● If you are not wearing a seat belt, if you lean forward or to the side
while travelling or assume an incorrect sitting position, there is a sub-
stantially increased risk of injury. This increased risk of injury will be fur-
ther increased if you are struck by an inflating airbag.
Safety FirstOperating instructionsPractical TipsTechnical specifications
33
Airbag system
Types of front passenger front airbag systems
There are two different SEAT front passenger front airbag systems:
ABCharacteristics of the front passen-
ger front airbag that can only be dis-
abled in a specialised workshop.Characteristics of the front passen-
ger front airbag that can be disabled
manually ⇒ page 45.
– Control lamp on the instrument
panel.
– Front passenger front airbag on
the dash panel.– Control lamp on the instrument
panel.
– Control lamp on the dash panel.
PASSENGER AIR BAG .
– Control lamp on the dash panel. PASSENGER AIR BAG .
– Switch on the dash panel glove
compartment, on the passenger
side.
– Front passenger front airbag in the
dash panel.
Name: airbag system.Name: airbag system with front pas-
senger front airbag disabling.
Safety FirstOperating instructionsPractical TipsTechnical specifications