Page 32 of 386
01 Safety
Occupant Weight Sensor 01
30
WARNING
•Do not place any type of object on the front passenger's seat in such a waythat jamming, pressing, or squeezingoccurs between the object and thefront seat, other than as a direct resultof the correct use of the AutomaticLocking Retractor/Emergency LockingRetractor (ALR/ELR) seat belt (seepage 39).
• No objects should be placed under thefront passenger's seat. This couldinterfere with the OWS system's func-tion.
Page 34 of 386
01 Safety
Side impact protection (SIPS) airbags 01
32
WARNING
•The SIPS airbag system is a supple- ment to the structural Side ImpactProtection System and the three-pointseat belt system. It is not designed todeploy during collisions from the frontor rear of the vehicle or in rollover sit-uations.
• The use of seat covers on the frontseats may impede SIPS airbag deploy-ment.
• No objects, accessory equipment orstickers may be placed on, attached toor installed near the SIPS airbag sys-tem or in the area affected by SIPS air-bag deployment.
• Never try to open or repair any compo-nents of the SIPS airbag system. Thisshould be done only by a trained andqualified Volvo service technician.
• In order for the SIPS airbag to provideits best protection, both front seatoccupants should sit in an uprightposition with the seat belt properly fas-tened.
• Failure to follow these instructions canresult in injury to the occupants of thevehicle in the event of an accident.
Page 35 of 386

01 Safety
Inflatable Curtain (IC)01
33
General information
This system consists of inflatable curtains located along the sides of the roof liners,stretching from the center of both front sidewindows to the rear edge of the rear sidedoor windows. It is designed to help protectthe heads of the occupants of the front seatsand the occupant of the outboard rear seat-ing positions in certain side impact collisions. In certain side impacts, both the Inflatable
Curtain (IC) and the Side Impact Airbag Sys- tem (SIPS airbag) will deploy. The IC and theSIPS airbag deploy simultaneously.
NOTE
If the inflatable curtain deploys, it remains inflated for approximately 6 seconds.
WARNING
• The IC system is a supplement to the Side Impact Protection System. It isnot designed to deploy during colli-sions from the rear of the vehicle.
• Never try to open or repair any compo-nents of the IC system. This should bedone only by a trained and qualifiedVolvo service technician.
• Never hang heavy items from the ceil-ing handles. This could impededeployment of the Inflatable Curtain.
• The rear seat should not be loaded toa level higher than 2 in. (5 cm) belowthe upper edge of the rear side win-dows. Objects placed higher than thislevel could impede the function of theInflatable Curtain.
WARNING
In order for the IC to provide its best pro- tection, both front seat occupants andboth outboard rear seat occupants shouldsit in an upright position with the seat beltproperly fastened; adults using the seatbelt and children using the proper childrestraint system. Only adults should sit inthe front seats. Children must never beallowed in the front passenger seat, seepage 39 for guidelines. Failure to followthese instructions can result in injury to thevehicle occupants in an accident.
Page 36 of 386

01 Safety
Whiplash Protection System – WHIPS 01
34
General informationWhiplash Protection System (WHIPS) – front seats only
The WHIPS system consists of specially designed hinges and brackets on the frontseat backrests designed to help absorb someof the energy generated in a collision from therear (when the vehicle is rear-ended). In the event of a collision of this type, the hinges and brackets of the front seat back-rests are designed to change position slightlyto allow the backrest/head restraint to helpsupport the occupant's head before movingslightly rearward. This movement helpsabsorb some of the forces that could result inwhiplash.
WARNING
•The WHIPS system is designed to supplement the other safety systemsin your vehicle. For this system tofunction properly, the three-point seatbelt must be worn. Please be awarethat no system can prevent all possibleinjuries that may occur in an accident.
• The WHIPS system is designed tofunction in certain collisions from therear, depending on the crash severity,angle and speed.
WARNING
• Occupants in the front seats must never sit out of position. The occu-pant's back must be as upright ascomfort allows and be against the seatback with the seat belt properly fas-tened.
• If your vehicle has been involved in arear-end collision, the front seat back-rests must be inspected by a trainedand qualified Volvo service technician,even if the seats appear to be undam-aged. Certain components in theWHIPS system may need to bereplaced.
• Do not attempt to service any compo-nent in the WHIPS system yourself.
Page 37 of 386
01 Safety
Whiplash Protection System – WHIPS01
35
WARNING
•Boxes, suitcases, etc. wedged behind the front seats could impede the func-tion of the WHIPS system.
• If the rear seat backrests are foldeddown, cargo must be secured to pre-vent it from sliding forward against thefront seat backrests in the event of acollision from the rear. This couldinterfere with the action of the WHIPSsystem.
WARNING
Any contact between the front seat back- rests and the folded rear seat or a rear-facing child seat could impede the functionof the WHIPS system. If the rear seat isfolded down, the occupied front seatsmust be adjusted forward so that they donot touch the folded rear seat.
Page 38 of 386

01 Safety
Crash mode 01
36* Option/accessory, for more information, see Introduction.
Warning symbol: analog instrument panel
Warning symbol: digital instrument panel*
Driving after a collisionIf the vehicle has been involved in a collision, the text Safety mode See manual may
appear in the information display. This indi- cates that the vehicle's functionality has been reduced.
NOTE
This text can only be shown if the display is undamaged and the vehicle's electricalsystem is intact.
Safety mode is a feature that is triggered if one or more of the safety systems (e.g. frontor side airbags, an inflatable curtain, or one ormore of the seat belt pretensioners) hasdeployed. The collision may have damagedan important function in the vehicle, such asthe fuel lines, sensors for one of the safetysystems, the brake system, etc.
WARNING
•
Never attempt to repair the vehicle yourself or to reset the electrical sys-tem after the vehicle has displayed
Safety mode See manual. This could
result in injury or improper system function.
• Restoring the vehicle to normal operat-ing status should only be done by atrained and qualified Volvo servicetechnician.
• After
Safety mode See manual has
been displayed, if you detect the odor of fuel vapor, or see any signs of fuelleakage, do not attempt to start thevehicle. Leave the vehicle immediately.
Attempting to start the vehicleIf damage to the vehicle is minor and there is no fuel leakage, you may attempt to start thevehicle. To do so:
1. Remove the remote key from the ignition
slot and open the driver's door. If a mes- sage is displayed that the ignition is on,press the start button.
2. Close the driver's door and reinsert the remote key in the ignition slot.
3. Try to start the vehicle.
Page 39 of 386
01 Safety
Crash mode01
37
If the message
Safety mode See manual is
still displayed, the vehicle should not be driven and must be towed. Concealed faultsmay make the vehicle difficult to control.
Moving the vehicle
If the message Normal mode is displayed
when Safety mode See manual is no longer
displayed, the vehicle may be moved care- fully from its present position, if for example,it is blocking traffic. It should, however, notbe moved farther than is absolutely neces-sary.
WARNING
Even if the vehicle appears to be drivable after Safety mode has been set, it shouldnot be driven or towed (pulled by anothervehicle). There may be concealed damagethat could make it difficult or impossible tocontrol. The vehicle should be transportedon a flatbed tow truck to a trained andqualified Volvo service technician forinspection/repairs.
Page 41 of 386

01 Safety
Child safety01
39
WARNING
•Do not use child safety seats or child booster cushions/backrests in thefront passenger's seat. We also rec-ommend that children under 4 feet7 inches (140 cm) in height who haveoutgrown these devices sit in the rearseat with the seat belt fastened.
• Keep vehicle doors and trunk lockedand keep remote controls out of achild’s reach. Unsupervised childrencould lock themselves in an opentrunk and risk injury. Children shouldbe taught not to play in vehicles.
• On hot days, the temperature in thevehicle interior can rise very quickly.Exposure to these high temperaturesfor even a short period of time cancause heat-related injury or death.Small children are particularly at risk.
Child seat should always be registered. See page 40 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 keepthe 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 manufactur-er'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 beltwill now be locked in place. This function isautomatically disabled when the seat belt isunlocked and the belt is fully retracted.
WARNING
Do not use child safety seats or child booster cushions/backrests in the frontpassenger's seat. We also recommendthat children who have outgrown thesedevices sit in the rear seat with the seatbelt properly fastened.
Volvo's recommendations
Why does Volvo believe that no child should sit in the front seat of a car? It's quite simplereally. A front airbag is a very powerful devicedesigned, by law, to help protect an adult. Because of the size of the airbag and its speed of inflation, a child should never beplaced in the front seat, even if he or she isproperly belted or strapped into a child safetyseat. Volvo has been an innovator in safetyfor over seventy-five years, and we'll continueto do our part. But we need your help. Pleaseremember to put your children in the backseat, 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 seriousinjuries during certain types of accidents.