2015 VOLKSWAGEN GOLF SPORTWAGEN Owners Manual

Fig. 50 A vehicle with passengers not wearing safety belts hits a wall.

Fig. 52 Unbelted passengers in the rear seats are thrown forward on top of the belted driver.

If you cannot untwist the safety belt, wear it anyway. Make sure that the safety belt is twisted in a spot where it does not come in direct contact with your body. Have the safety belt untwisted immediately by an authorized Volkswagen dealer or authorized Volkswagen Service Facility.
Lockable safety belt
The retractors for the rear seat safety belts and the front passenger safety belt have a switchable locking feature for child restraints in addition to the emergency locking feature. Whenever a child restraint is installed with a safety belt, the safety belt must be locked so that the safety belt webbing cannot unreel. The switchable locking feature lets you lock the belt so that a child restraint can be properly installed and, for example, so that it can't tip to the side when the vehicle goes around a
corner ⇒  Child safety and child restraints.
To see whether a safety belt is lockable, pull the safety belt all the way out of the safety belt retractor. You should then hear a “clicking” sound as the belt winds back into the retractor reel. Test the switch-able locking feature by pulling on the belt. When the switchable locking feature is active, you should no longer be able to pull the belt out of the retractor.
The locking feature must be deactivated when a vehicle occupant uses the safety belt.
WARNING
Improper use and care of safety belts increases the risk of severe personal injury or death.
x Regularly check safety belts and related parts for damage.
x Damaged safety belts must be replaced; they cannot be repaired.
x Always keep safety belts clean.
x Never catch, damage or chafe safety belt webbing on sharp edges.
x Always keep objects and liquids away from the belt buckle and buckle opening.
Fastening and unfastening safety belts

Fig. 54 Inserting the buckle tongue into the belt buckle.

Fig. 55 Releasing the buckle tongue from the belt buckle.

Safety belt position

Fig. 56 Proper safety belt positioning and head restraint adjustment.

Fig. 57 Proper safety belt positioning for expectant mothers.

Expectant mothers must always wear the lap portion of the safety belt as low as possible across the pelvis and below the rounding of the abdomen – throughout the pregnancy. The safety belt must lie
flat against the body to avoid pressure against the abdomen ⇒ fig. 57.
Adjusting safety belt height
The safety belt position can be adjusted using the following features:
x Safety belt height adjusters for the front seats.
x Front seats with height adjustment.
WARNING
Improperly positioned safety belts can cause serious personal injury in an accident or a sud-den braking maneuver.
x Always make sure that all vehicle occupants are correctly restrained and stay in a correct seating position whenever the vehicle is being used.
x Safety belts offer optimum protection only when the seat backrest is upright and belts are correctly positioned on the body.
x A loose-fitting safety belt can cause serious injuries by shifting its position on your body from the strong bones to more vulnerable soft tissue and cause serious injury.
x The shoulder belt portion of the safety belt must be positioned over the middle of the occupant's shoulder and never across the neck or throat.
x The safety belt must lie flat and snug on the occupant's upper body.
x Never wear the shoulder part of the safety belt under your arm or otherwise out of posi-tion.
x The lap portion of the safety belt must be positioned as low as possible across the pelvis and never over the abdomen. Make sure the belt lies flat and snug against the pelvis. Pull on the safety belt to tighten if necessary.
x Expectant mothers must always wear the lap portion of the safety belt as low as possible across the pelvis and below the rounding of the abdomen.
x Do not twist the belt when attaching it. If you cannot untwist a twisted safety belt, wear it anyway, but make sure the twisted part is not in contact with your body. Have the problem corrected right away by an authorized Volkswagen dealer or authorized Volkswagen Service Facility.
x Never hold the safety belt away from your body with your hand.
x Never wear belts over rigid or breakable objects, such as eyeglasses, pens or keys.
x Never modify the position of the belt using comfort clips, loops or similar devices.
If you have a physical impairment or condition that prevents you from sitting properly on the seat with the safety belt properly fastened, special modifications to your vehicle may be necessary. Contact your authorized Volkswagen dealer or authorized Volkswagen Service Facility or call the Volkswagen Customer CARE Center at 1-800-822-8987 for information about possible modifications to your vehi-cle.

Safety belt height adjusters

Fig. 58 Next to the front seats: Safety belt height adjuster.