
02 Safety
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Occupant safety
Safety is Volvo's cornerstone.
Volvo's concern for safetyOur concern for safety dates back to 1927 when the first Volvo rolled off the productionline. Three-point seat belts (a Volvo inven-tion), safety cages, and energy-absorbingimpact zones were designed into Volvo vehi-cles long before it was fashionable orrequired by government regulation. We will not compromise our commitment to safety. We continue to seek out new safetyfeatures and to refine those already in ourvehicles. You can help. We would appreciatehearing your suggestions about improvingautomobile safety. We also want to know ifyou ever have a safety concern with yourvehicle. Call us in the U.S. at:1-800-458-1552 or in Canada at:1-800-663-8255.
Occupant safety remindersHow safely you drive doesn't depend on how old you are but rather on:• How well you see.
• Your ability to concentrate.
• How quickly you make decisions under stress to avoid an accident.
The following suggestions are intended to help you cope with the ever changing trafficenvironment. •
Never drink and drive.
• If you are taking any medication, consult your physician about its potential effectson your driving abilities.
• Take a driver-retraining course.
• Have your eyes checked regularly.
• Keep your windshield and headlightsclean.
• Replace wiper blades when they start toleave streaks.
• Take into account the traffic, road, andweather conditions, particularly withregard to stopping distance.
• Never send text messages while driving.
• Refrain from using or minimize the use ofa cell phone while driving.
Related information
•Recall information (p. 26)
• Reporting safety defects (p. 27)
Recall information
Information regarding recalls or other service campaigns is available on our website atwww.volvocars.com/us/. On our website, select the tab YOUR VOLVO and the heading RECALL INFORMATION willbe displayed at the lower left side of thescreen. Enter your Vehicle Identification Num-ber for your vehicle (found at the base of thewindshield). If your vehicle has any openRecalls, they will be displayed on this page.
Volvo customers in CanadaFor any questions regarding open recalls for your vehicle, please contact your authorizedVolvo retailer. If your retailer is unable toanswer your questions, please contact VolvoCustomer Relations at 905 695-9626, Mon-day through Friday, 8:30 A.M. to 5:00 P.M.EST or by e-mail at [email protected] may also write us at: Volvo Cars of CanadaNational Customer Service9130 Leslie Street, Suite 101Richmond Hill, Ontario L4B 0B9
Related information
• Occupant safety (p. 26)
• Reporting safety defects (p. 27)

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Seat belts – buckling/unbuckling
Seat belts should be used by all occupants in the vehicle when it is in motion.
Buckling a seat beltPull the belt out far enough to insert the latchplate into the receptacle until a distinct clickis heard. The seat belt retractor is normally"unlocked" and you can move freely, provi-ded that the shoulder belt is not pulled outtoo far.
Seat belt retractorThe seat belt retractor will lock up in the following situations:• if the belt is pulled out rapidly
• during braking and acceleration
• if the vehicle is leaning excessively
• when driving in turns
• if the Automatic Locking Retractor/Emer- gency Locking Retractor (ALR/ELR) isactivated
NOTE
Each seat belt (except for the driver's belt) is equipped with the ALR/ELR function,which is designed to help keep the seatbelt taut. ALR/ELR activates if the seat beltis pulled out as far as possible. If this isdone, a sound from the seat belt retractorwill be audible, which is normal, and theseat belt will be pulled taut and locked inplace. This function is automatically disa-bled when the seat belt is unbuckled andfully retracted.
See also Child restraints (p. 47) for informa- tion about using a seat belt's ALR/ELR func-tion to anchor a child seat.
When wearing the seat belt remember:
• The belt should not be twisted or turned.
• The lap section of the belt must be posi- tioned low on the hips (not pressingagainst the abdomen).
• Make sure that the shoulder belt is rolledup into its retractor and that the shoulderand lap belts are taut.
Unbuckling the seat beltTo remove the seat belt, press the red section on the seat belt receptacle. Before exiting thevehicle, check that the seat belt retracts fullyafter being unbuckled. If necessary, guide thebelt back into the retractor slot.
Related information
• Seat belt reminder (p. 30)
• Seat belts – pregnancy (p. 30)

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Seat belt reminder
The seat belt reminder is intended to alert all occupants of the vehicle that their seat beltsshould be fastened before the vehicle beginsto move.
G017726
Seat belt reminder light in ceiling consoleThe seat belt reminder consists of an audible signal, an indicator light near the rearviewmirror and a symbol in the instrument panelthat alert all occupants of the vehicle to fas-ten their seat belts (p. 28). The audible signaland indicator light will be on for several sec-onds from the time the ignition is switchedon, regardless of whether or not the seat
belts are fastened. If the front seat belts are unbuckled while the vehicle is in motion, the audible signal andwarning light will be active for a several sec-onds.
Rear seatsThe seat belt reminder in the rear seat hastwo additional functions:
• It provides information about which seat belts are fastened in the rear seat. A mes-sage will appear in the information displaywhen a belt is being used. This messagewill disappear after several seconds orcan be erased by pressing the
OK button
on the left steering wheel lever.
• It also provides a reminder if one of theoccupants of the rear seat has unbuckledhis/her seat belt while the vehicle is inmotion. A visual and audible signal will begiven. These signals will stop when theseat belt has been re-buckled or can bestopped by pressing the
OK button.
• The message
Unbelted in rear seat will
appear in the information display if one of the rear doors has been opened.
The message in the information display can always be accessed, even if it has beenerased, by pressing the OK button to display
stored messages.
Related information
• Seat belts – pregnancy (p. 30)
Seat belts – pregnancy
The seat belt should always be worn during pregnancy. However, it is crucial that it beworn correctly.
G020998
The diagonal section should wrap over the shoulder then be routed between the breastsand to the side of the belly. The lap sectionshould lay flat over the thighs and as low aspossible under the belly. It must never beallowed to ride upward. Remove all slackfrom the belt and ensure that it fits close tothe body without any twists. As a pregnancy progresses, pregnant drivers should adjust their seats and steering wheelsuch that they can easily maintain control ofthe vehicle as they drive (which means theymust be able to easily operate the foot pedalsand steering wheel). Within this context, theyshould strive to position the seat with as large

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Location of the passenger's side front airbagAs the movement of the seats' occupants compresses the airbags, some of the gas isexpelled at a controlled rate to provide bettercushioning. Both seat belt pretensioners alsodeploy, minimizing seat belt slack. The entireprocess, including inflation and deflation ofthe airbags, takes approximately one fifth of asecond. The location of the front airbags is indicated by SRS AIRBAG embossed on the steering
wheel pad and above the glove compartment,and by decals on both sun visors and on thefront and far right side of the dash. The driver's side front airbag is folded and located in the steering wheel hub. The passenger's side front airbag is folded behind a panel located above the glove com-partment.
WARNING
• The airbags in the vehicle are designed to be a SUPPLEMENT to–not areplacement for–the three-point seatbelts. For maximum protection, wearseat belts at all times. Be aware thatno system can prevent all possibleinjuries that may occur in an accident.
• Never drive with your hands on thesteering wheel pad/airbag housing.
• The front airbags are designed to helpprevent serious injury. Deploymentoccurs very quickly and with consider-able force. During normal deploymentand depending on variables such asseating position, one may experienceabrasions, bruises, swellings, or otherinjuries as a result from deployment ofone or both of the airbags.
• When installing any accessory equip-ment, make sure that the front airbagsystem is not damaged. Any interfer-ence in the system could cause mal-function.
Front airbag deployment
•
The front airbags are designed to deploy during certain frontal or front-angular col-lisions, impacts, or decelerations,depending on the crash severity, angle,speed and object impacted. The airbagsmay also deploy in certain non-frontal collisions where rapid decelerationoccurs.
• The SRS (p. 31) sensors, which triggerthe front airbags, are designed to react toboth the impact of the collision and theinertial forces generated by it, and todetermine if the intensity of the collision issufficient for the seat belt pretensionersand/or airbags to be deployed.
However, not all frontal collisions activate the front airbags.
• If the collision involves a nonrigid object (e.g., a snow drift or bush), or a rigid,fixed object at a low speed, the front air-bags will not necessarily deploy.
• Front airbags do not normally deploy in aside impact collision, in a collision fromthe rear or in a rollover situation.
• The amount of damage to the bodyworkdoes not reliably indicate if the airbagsshould have deployed or not.
WARNING
If any of the airbags have deployed:
• Do not attempt to drive the vehicle. Have it towed to a qualified repairfacility.
• If necessary seek medical attentIon.

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WARNING
•Never try to open, remove, or repair any components in the OWS system.This could result in system malfunc-tion. Maintenance or repairs shouldonly be carried out by an a trained andqualified Volvo service technician.
• The front passenger's seat should notbe modified in any way. This couldreduce pressure on the seat cushion,which might interfere with the OWSsystem's function.
Passeng- er's seatoccu-pancy sta-tusOWS indicatorlight sta-tusPasseng- er's sidefront air-bag status
Seat unoc- cupiedOWS indi- cator lightlights up.Passenger's side front air-bag disabled
Seat occu- pied by lowweightoccupant/ object AOWS indi- cator lightlights upPassenger's side front air-bag disabled
Seat occu- pied byheavy occu-pant/objectOWS indi- cator lightis
not litPassenger's side front air-bag enabled
A
Volvo recommends that children always be properly restrained in appropriate child restraints in the rear seats.Do not assume that the passenger's side front airbag isdisabled unless the PASSENGER AIRBAG OFF indicatorlamp is lit. Make sure the child restraint is properly instal-led. If there is any doubt as to the status of the passeng-er's side front airbag, move the child restraint to the rearseat.
The OWS is designed to enable (may inflate) the passenger's side front airbag in the eventof a collision anytime the system senses thata person of adult size is sitting properly in thefront passenger's seat. The PASSENGERAIRBAG OFF indicator lamp will be off andremain off. If a person of adult size is sitting in the frontpassenger's seat, but the PASSENGER AIR-BAG OFF indicator lamp is on, it is possiblethat the person isn't sitting properly in theseat. If this happens:
• Turn the vehicle off and ask the person to place the seatback in an upright position.
• Have the person sit upright in the seat,centered on the seat cushion, with theperson's legs comfortably extended.
• Restart the vehicle and have the personremain in this position for about twominutes. This will allow the system todetect that person and enable the pas-senger's frontal airbag.
• If the PASSENGER AIRBAG OFF indica-tor lamp remains on even after this, theperson should be advised to ride in therear seat.
This condition reflects limitations of the OWS classification capability. It does not indicateOWS malfunction.
ModificationsIf you are considering modifying your vehiclein any way to accommodate a disability, forexample by altering or adapting the driver'sor front passenger's seat(s) and/or airbagsystems, please contact Volvo at: In the USA Volvo Cars of North America, LLC Customer Care Center

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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 (Childrestraints (p. 47)).
• No objects should be placed under thefront passenger's seat. This couldinterfere with the OWS system's func-tion.
Related information
•
Supplemental Restraint System (SRS) (p. 31)
Side impact protection (SIPS) airbags
As an enhancement to the structural side impact protection built into your vehicle, it isalso equipped with Side Impact ProtectionSystem (SIPS) airbags.
G032949
Location of the side impact (SIPS) airbags (front seats only) The SIPS airbag system is designed to help increase occupant protection in the event ofcertain side impact collisions. The SIPS air-bags are designed to deploy only during cer-tain side-impact collisions, depending on thecrash severity, angle, speed and point ofimpact.
Driver's side SIPS airbag
Passenger's side SIPS airbag
NOTE
SIPS airbag deployment (one airbag) occurs only on the side of the vehicleaffected by the impact. The airbags are notdesigned to deploy in all side impact situa-tions.

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44* Option/accessory, for more information, see Introduction.
Rollover Protection System (ROPS)
Volvo's Roll-Over Protection System (ROPS) utilizes the Roll Stability Control (RSC) func-tion and has been designed to help minimizethe risk of a rollover in emergency maneuversor if a skid should occur. RSC uses a gyroscopic sensor that registers the amount of change in the lateral angle atwhich the vehicle is leaning. Using this infor-mation, RSC calculates the likelihood of arollover. If there is an imminent risk of a roll-over, the stability system is activated, powerto the engine is cut and the brakes areapplied to one or more of the wheels until thevehicle regains stability.
WARNING
The vehicle’s stability systems, including ROPS and RSC, do not replace thedriver’s responsibility for operating thevehicle in a safe manner. Speed and driv-ing style should always be adapted to thecurrent road, traffic and weather condi-tions. Posted speed limits should alwaysbe respected.
Crash mode – general information
After a collision, the functionality of some of the vehicle's systems may be reduced as asafety precaution.
Warning symbol: analog instrument panel
Warning symbol: digital instrument panel* If the vehicle has been involved in a collision, the text
Safety mode See manual may
appear in the information display.
NOTE
This text can only be shown if the display is undamaged and the vehicle's electricalsystem is intact.
Crash mode is a feature that is triggered if one or more of the safety systems (e.g.front (p. 32) or side airbags (p. 39), an inflat-able curtain (p. 41), or one or more of the seatbelt pretensioners) has deployed. The colli-sion may have damaged an important func-tion in the vehicle, such as the fuel lines, sen-sors for one of the safety systems, the brakesystem, etc.

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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.
Related information
• Crash mode – starting the vehicle (p. 45)
• Crash mode – moving the vehicle(p. 45)
Crash mode – starting the vehicle
If Crash mode has been set Crash mode (p. 44)) and damage to the vehicle isminor and there is no fuel leakage, you mayattempt to start the engine. 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.
WARNING
If the message Safety mode See manualis still displayed, the vehicle should not be driven and must be towed. Concealedfaults may make the vehicle difficult tocontrol.
Related information
• Crash mode – general information (p. 44)
• Crash mode – moving the vehicle (p. 45)
Crash mode – moving the vehicle
If the message Normal mode appears after
an attempt has been made to start the engine, Starting the vehicle after a crash (p. 45), thevehicle may be moved carefully from its pres-ent position, if for example, it is blocking traf-fic. It should, however, not be moved fartherthan is absolutely necessary.
WARNING
Even if the vehicle appears to be drivable after Crash 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.
Related information
• Crash mode – general information (p. 44)