Safety
risk of injury. The following list includes most
of the s
af
ety equipment in your SEAT:
● three-point seat belts,
● belt tension limiters for the front and rear
side seats,
● belt
tensioners for the front seats,
● belt height adjustment for the front seats,
● front airbags,
● side airbags in the front seat backrests,
● side airbags in the rear seat backrests*,
● head-protection airbags,
● active front head restraints*,
● “ISOFIX” anchor points for child seats in
the rear s
ide seats with the “ISOFIX” system,
● height-adjustable front head restraints,
● rear head restraints with in-use position
and non-use pos
ition,
● adjustable steering column.
The safety
equipment mentioned above
works together to provide you and your pas-
sengers with the best possible protection in
the event of an accident. However, these
safety systems can only be effective if you
and your passengers are sitting in a correct
position and use this equipment properly.
Safety is everyone's business! Correct position for passengers
Correct
sitting position for driver Fig. 71
The proper distance between driver
and s t
eerin
g wheel Fig. 72
Correct head restraint position for the
driv er
. For your own safety and to reduce the risk of
injur
y
in the ev
ent of an accident, we recom- mend the following adjustments for the driv-
er:
– Adjust the steering wheel so that there is a
dist
ance of at least 25 cm between the
steering wheel and the centre of your chest
››› Fig. 71.
– Move the driver's seat forwards or back-
ward
s so that you are able to press the ac-
celerator, brake and clutch pedals to the
floor with your knees still slightly angled
››› .
– Ensure that you can reach the highest point
of the s
t
eering wheel.
– Adjust the head restraint so that its upper
edge is
at the same level as the top of your
head, or as close as possible to the same
level as the top of your head ››› Fig. 72.
– Move the seat backrest to an upright posi-
tion so that
your back rests completely
against it.
– Fasten your seat belt securely ›››
page 61.
– Keep both feet in the footwell so that you
have the
vehicle under control at all times.
Adjustment of the driver's seat
››› page 11. WARNING
● An incorr ect
sitting position of the driver
can lead to severe injuries. 56
Safety
●
Alw a
ys keep your feet in the footwell when
the vehicle is moving; never rest them on the
dash panel, out the window or on the seat. An
incorrect sitting position exposes you to an
increased risk of injury in case of a sudden
braking or an accident. If the airbag is trig-
gered, you could sustain severe injuries due
to an incorrect sitting position.
● To reduce the risk of injury to the front pas-
senger in ev
ents such as sudden braking ma-
noeuvres or an accident, never travel with the
backrest tilted far back! The airbag system
and seat belts can only provide optimal pro-
tection when the backrest is in an upright po-
sition and the front passenger is wearing his
or her seat belt properly. The further the seat
backrests are tilted to the rear, the greater
the risk of injury due to incorrect positioning
of the belt web or to the incorrect sitting po-
sition!
● Adjust the head restraint correctly in order
to achiev
e maximum protection. Correct sitting position for rear seat
p
a
s
sengers To reduce the risk of injury in the event of a
s
ud
den br
aking manoeuvre or an accident,
passengers on the rear seat bench must con-
sider the following:
– Sit up straight.
– Adjust the head restraint to the correct po-
sition ››
› page 59. –
Alwa
ys keep both feet in the footwell in
front of the rear seat.
– Fasten your seat belt securely ›››
page 61.
– Use an appropriate child restraint system
when you t
ake children in the vehicle
››› page 72. WARNING
● If the p a
ssengers in the rear seats are not
sitting properly, they could sustain severe in-
juries.
● Adjust the head restraint correctly in order
to achiev
e maximum protection.
● Seat belts can only provide optimal protec-
tion when seat b
ackrests are in an upright
position and the vehicle occupants are wear-
ing their seat belts correctly. If passengers In
the rear seats are not sitting in an upright po-
sition, the risk of injury due to incorrect posi-
tioning of the seat belt increases. Examples of incorrect sitting posi-
tion
s Seat belts can provide optimal protection on-
ly
when the belt
w
ebs are properly posi-
tioned. Incorrect sitting positions substan-
tially reduce the protective function of seat
belts and increase the risk of injury due to in-
correct seat belt position. As the driver, you
are responsible for all passengers, especially
children. –
Never allo
w anyone to assume an incorrect
sitting position in the vehicle while travel-
ling ››› .
The f o
l
lowing list contains examples of sit-
ting positions that could be dangerous for all
vehicle occupants. The list is not complete,
but we would like to make you aware of this
issue.
Therefore, whenever the vehicle is in motion:
● Never stand in the vehicle.
● Never stand on the seats.
● Never kneel on the seats.
● Never tilt your seat backrest far to the rear.
● Never lean against the dash panel.
● Never lie on the rear bench.
● Never sit on the front edge of a seat.
● Never sit sideways.
● Never lean out of a window.
● Never put your feet out of a window.
● Never put your feet on the dash panel.
● Never put your feet on the surface of a seat.
● Do not allow anyone to travel in the foot-
well
.
● Never travel without wearing the seat belt.
● Do not allow anyone to travel in the lug-
gage c
ompartment.
58
Safe driving
WARNING
● Any inc
orrect sitting position increases the
risk of severe injuries.
● Sitting in an incorrect position exposes the
vehicl
e occupants to severe injuries if airbags
are triggered, by striking a vehicle occupant
who has assumed an incorrect sitting posi-
tion.
● Before the vehicle moves, assume the prop-
er sitting po
sition and maintain it throughout
the trip. Before every trip, instruct your pas-
sengers to sit properly and to stay in this po-
sition during the trip ››› page 56, Correct posi-
tion for passengers. Correct adjustment of front head re-
s
tr
aint
s Fig. 73
Correctly adjusted head restraint as
v iew
ed fr
om the front and the side. Properly adjusted head restraints are an im-
por
t
ant
part of passenger protection and can
reduce the risk of injuries in most accident
situations.
– Adjust the head restraint so that its upper
edge is, a
s far as possible, at the same lev-
el as the top of your head, or at the very
least, at eye level ››› Fig. 73.
Adjusting the head restraints ››› page 128
Active head restraints*
Vehicle occupants are pressed into their
seats during a rear end collision. The result-
ing body pressure on the seat backrest acti-
vates the active head restraint* on the front
seat, which moves rapidly forwards and up-
wards at the same time. This movement re-
duces the distance between the occupant's
head and the head restraint, thus reducing
the risk of injuries such as whiplash. WARNING
● Trav
elling with the head restraints removed
or improperly adjusted increases the risk of
severe injuries. An improper adjustment of
the head restraints may cause death in an ac-
cident and increase the risk of suffering inju-
ries during abrupt braking actions or unex-
pected manoeuvres.
● The head restraints must always be adjus-
ted acc
ording to the height of the passenger. Note
The active head restraints* could also be trig-
ger ed if
a vehicle occupant applies a high lev-
el of pressure to the seat backrest (e.g. by
“falling” back into the seat when entering the
vehicle) or if pressure is applied to a front
seat head restraint from the rear. This acci-
dental activation is, however, not dangerous,
as the active head restraints will return to the
original position immediately and are thus
once again ready. Correct adjustment of rear head re-
s
tr
aint
s Fig. 74
Head restraints in the correct posi-
tion. Properly adjusted head restraints are an im-
por
t
ant
part of passenger protection and can
reduce the risk of injuries in most accident
situations. »
59
Technical data
Advice
Operation
Emergencies
Safety
Safety
Rear outer seat head restraints
– The rear outer seat head restraints have 4
po s
ition
s.
– Three positions for use ›
›› Fig. 74. In these
positions, the head restraints are used nor-
mally, and along with the rear seat belts,
protect passengers in the rear seats.
– And one position for non-use.
– T
o fit the head restraints in position for use,
pul
l on the edges with both hands in the
direction of the arrow.
Centre rear head restraint*
– The centre head restraint only has two posi-
tions, in-u
se (head restraint up) and non-
use (head restraint down). WARNING
● Under no cir c
umstances should the rear
passengers travel while the head restraints
are in the non-use position.
● Do not swap the centre rear head restraint
with either of the out
er seat rear head re-
straints. Risk of injury in case of an accident! CAUTION
Note the instructions on the adjustment of
the hea d r
estraints ››› page 128. Pedal area
P ed
a
ls –
Ensure that you can always press the accel-
erat or
, brake and clutch pedals unimpaired
to the floor.
– Ensure that the pedals can return unim-
paired t
o their initial positions.
– Ensure that the floor mats are securely fas-
tened during the trip and do not
obstruct
the pedals ››› .
On ly
u
se floor mats which leave the pedals
clear and which are secured to prevent them
from slipping. You can obtain suitable floor
mats from a specialised dealership. Fasten-
ers* for floor mats are fitted in the footwells.
If a brake circuit fails, the brake pedal must
be pressed down thoroughly in order to stop
the vehicle.
Wear suitable footwear
Always wear shoes which support your feet
properly and give you a good feeling for the
pedals. WARNING
● If the ped a
ls are obstructed, an accident
may occur. Risk of serious injuries. ●
Never l a
y or fit floor mats or other floor cov-
erings over the original floor mats. This
would reduce the pedal area and could ob-
struct the pedals. Risk of accident.
● Never place objects in the driver footwell.
An obj
ect could move into the pedal area and
impair pedal operation. In the event of a sud-
den driving or braking manoeuvre, you will
not be able to operate the brake, clutch or ac-
celerator pedal. Risk of accident! 60
Seat belts
Seat belts
The wh y
s
and wherefores of
seat belts
Number of seats Your vehicle has
five se
ats, two in the front
and three in the rear. Each seat is equipped
with a three-point seat belt.
In some versions, your vehicle is approved
only for four seats. Two front seats and two
rear seats. WARNING
● Never tr an
sport more than the permitted
amount of people in your vehicle.
● Every vehicle occupant must properly fas-
ten and we
ar the seat belt belonging to his or
her seat. Children must be protected with an
appropriate child restraint system. Seat belt lamp*
The control lamp illuminates to remind the
driv
er t
o f
asten his seat belt.
Before starting the vehicle: –
Fas
ten your seat belt securely.
– Instruct your passengers to fasten their
seat belts
properly before driving off.
– Protect children by using a child seat ac-
cordin
g to the child's height and weight.
The control lamp on the instrument panel
lights up 1)
if the driver or passenger 1)
has
not fastened their belt when the ignition is
switched on.
If, when starting to drive, speed surpasses
25 km/h (15 mph) approx. and no seat belts
are worn or they are unfastened during the
drive, a warning sound will be heard for a few
seconds. The warning light will also flash .
The lamp goes out when the driver and
passenger seat belts are fastened with the ig-
nition switched on. The protective function of seat belts Fig. 75
Drivers with properly worn seat belts
w i
l
l not be thrown forward in the event of sud-
den braking Properly worn seat belts hold the occupants
in the pr
oper po
s
ition. They also help prevent
uncontrolled movements that may result in
serious injury and reduce the risk of being
thrown out of the vehicle in case of an acci-
dent.
Vehicle occupants wearing their seat belts
correctly benefit greatly from the ability of the
belts to absorb kinetic energy. In addition,
the front part of your vehicle and other pas-
sive safety features (such as the airbag sys-
tem) are designed to absorb the kinetic ener-
gy released in a collision. Taken together, all
these features reduce the releasing kinetic
energy and consequently, the risk of injury. »1)
Depending on the model version
61
Technical data
Advice
Operation
Emergencies
Safety
Seat belts
Physical principles of a frontal colli-
s ion Fig. 76
A driver not wearing a seat belt is
thr o
wn f
orward violently Fig. 77
The unbelted passenger in the rear
se at
i
s thrown forward violently, hitting the
driver wearing a seat belt It is easy to explain how the laws of physics
w
ork
in the c
ase of a head-on collision: when
a vehicle starts moving, a type of energy called “kinetic energy” is created both in the
pas
sengers and inside the vehicle.
The amount of “kinetic energy” depends on
the speed of the vehicle and the weight of
the vehicle and its passengers. The higher
the speed and the greater the weight, the
more energy there is to be “absorbed” in an
accident.
The most significant factor, however, is the
speed of the vehicle. If the speed doubles
from 25 km/h (15 mph) to 50 km/h
(30 mph), for example, the corresponding ki-
netic energy is multiplied by four.
Because the vehicle occupants in our exam-
ple are not restrained by seat belts, in the
event of crashing against a wall, all of the oc-
cupants' kinetic energy will be absorbed
solely by said impact.
Even at speeds of 30 km/h (19 mph) to
50 km/h (30 mph), the forces acting on bod-
ies in a collision can easily exceed one tonne
(1000 kg). At greater speed these forces are
even higher.
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 vehicle was travelling just before
the impact. This example applies not only to
head-on collisions, but to all accidents and
collisions. Even at low speeds the forces acting on the
body in a co
llision are so great that it is not
possible to brace oneself with one's hands.
In a frontal collision, unbelted passengers
are thrown forward and will make violent con-
tact with the steering wheel, dash panel,
windscreen or whatever else is in the way
››› Fig. 76.
It is also important for rear passengers to
wear seat belts properly, as they could other-
wise be thrown forward violently through the
vehicle interior in an accident. Passengers in
the rear seats who do not use seat belts en-
danger not only themselves but also the front
occupants ››› Fig. 77.
63
Technical data
Advice
Operation
Emergencies
Safety
Safety
How to properly adjust your
se at
belt
F
astening and unfastening the seat
belt Fig. 78
Positioning and removing the seat
belt b
uc
kle. Fig. 79
Placing the seat belt in the shoulder
and pelv i
s
area for pregnant women. Fasten your seat belt
The se
at
belt
cannot offer its full protection if
the seat belt is not positioned correctly.
● Adjust the seat and head restraint correctly.
● To fasten the belt, take hold of the latch
plat
e and pull it slowly across your chest and
lap.
● Insert the latch plate into the buckle for the
appropri
ate seat and push it down until it is
securely locked with an audible click
››› Fig. 78 A.
● Pull the belt to ensure that the latch plate is
securely
engaged in the buckle.
The seat belts are equipped with an automat-
ic retractor on the shoulder strap. Full free-
dom of movement is permitted when the
shoulder belt is pulled slowly. However, dur- ing sudden braking, during travel in steep
area
s or bends and during acceleration, the
automatic retractor on the shoulder belt is
locked.
The automatic belt retractors on the front
seats are fitted with seat belt tensioners
››› page 65.
Seat belt release ● Press the red button on the belt buckle
›››
Fig. 78 B. The latch plate is released and
springs out ››› .
● Guide the belt back by hand so that it rolls
up e a
s
ily and the trim is not damaged.
Positioning seat belts
Seat belts offer their maximum protection on-
ly when they are properly positioned.
The following features are available to adjust
the seat belt in the shoulder region:
● belt height adjustment for the front seats.
● front seat height adjustment*. WARNING
● The seat belt
s offer best protection only
when the backrests are in an upright position
and the seat belts have been fastened prop-
erly.
● Never put the latch plate in the buckle of
another seat. If
you do this, the seat belt will64
Seat belts
not protect you properly and the risk of injury
is
inc
reased.
● Never unbuckle a seat belt while the vehi-
cle i
s in motion. If you do, you increase the
risk of sustaining severe or fatal injuries.
● An incorrectly worn seat belt can cause se-
vere injurie
s in the event of an accident.
● The shoulder part of the seat belt must lie
on the centre of
the shoulder, never across
the neck. The seat belt must lie flat and fit
comfortably on the torso
● The lap part of the seat belt must lie across
the pelvis, nev
er across the stomach. The
seat belt must lie flat and fit comfortably on
the pelvis Pull the belt tight if necessary to
take up any slack.
● For pregnant women, the lap part of the
seat belt
must lie as low as possible over the
pelvis, never across the stomach, and always
lie flat so that no pressure is exerted on the
abdomen ››› Fig. 79.
● Always engage the retractor lock when you
are securin
g a child seat in group 0, 0+ or 1
››› page 72.
● Read and observe the warnings ›››
page 62. Belt height adjustment
Fig. 80
Location of the belt height adjuster. The seat belt adjuster for the front seats can
be u
sed t
o a
djust the proper belt position at
the shoulder.
– Press the upper part of the shoulder belt
guide and hold it
in this position ››› Fig. 80.
– Move the shoulder belt guide up or down
until
you have adjusted the seat belt
››› page 64.
– After adjusting, pull the shoulder belt
sharply
to check that the catch on the
shoulder belt guide is engaged securely. Seat belt tensioners
How the seat
belt tensioner works Read the additional information carefully
›› ›
page 13.
The seat belts for the occupants in the front
seats are equipped with belt tensioners. Sen-
sors will trigger the belt tensioners only dur-
ing severe head-on, lateral and rear-end colli-
sions and only if the seat belt is worn. This
retracts and tightens the seat belts, reducing
the forward motion of the occupants.
The belt tensioners will not be triggered in
the event of minor collisions, if the vehicle
overturns, or in accidents where no major
forces act on the vehicle. Note
● If the se at
belt tensioners are triggered, a
fine dust is produced. This is normal and it is
not an indication of fire in the vehicle.
● The relevant safety requirements must be
obser
ved when the vehicle or components of
the system are scrapped. Specialised work-
shops are familiar with these regulations,
which are also available to you. 65
Technical data
Advice
Operation
Emergencies
Safety