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Occupant safety reminders
How 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 understress to avoid an accident.
The following suggestions are intended to helpyou cope with the ever changing traffic environ-ment.
• Never drink and drive.
• If you are taking any medication, consult yourphysician about its potential effects on yourdriving abilities.
• Take a driver-retraining course.
• Have your eyes checked regularly.
• Keep your windshield and headlights clean.
• Replace wiper blades when they start toleave streaks.
• Take into account the traffic, road, andweather conditions, particularly with regard tostopping distance.
• Never send text messages while driving.
• Refrain from using or minimize the use of acell phone while driving.
Related information
• Recall information (p. 58)
• Reporting safety defects (p. 57)
Reporting safety defects
The following information will help you report any perceived safety-related defects in your vehicle.
Reporting safety defects in the U.S.
If you believe that your vehicle has a defect which could cause a crash orcould cause injury or death, you shouldimmediately inform the National High-way Traffic Safety Administration(NHTSA) in addition to notifying VolvoCar USA, LLC. If NHTSA receives simi-lar complaints, it may open an investi-gation, and if it finds that a safetydefect exists in a group of vehicles, itmay order a recall and remedy cam-paign. However, NHTSA cannotbecome involved in individual problemsbetween you, your retailer, or Volvo CarUSA, LLC. To contact NHTSA, you mayeither call the Auto Safety Hotline toll-free at 1-888-327-4236(TTY: 1-800-424-9153) or write to: NHTSA, U.S. Department of Transpor-tation, Washington D.C. 20590. You can also obtain other informationabout motor vehicle safety from http://www.safercar.gov, where you can alsoenter your vehicle's VIN (Vehicle Identi-fication Number) to see if it has anyopen recalls. Volvo strongly recommends that if your vehicle is covered under a service cam-paign, safety or emission recall or simi-lar action, it should be completed assoon as possible. Please check withyour local retailer or Volvo Car USA,LLC if your vehicle is covered underthese conditions. NHTSA can be reached at:Internet:http://www.nhtsa.govTelephone:1-888-DASH-2-DOT (1-888-327-4236).
Reporting safety defects in CanadaIf you believe your vehicle has a defect that could cause a crash or could cause injury or death, youshould immediately inform Transport Canada inaddition to notifying Volvo Cars of Canada Corp.
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Transport Canada can be contacted at:
1-800-333-0510 Teletypewriter (TTY): 613 990-4500Fax: 1-819-994-3372Mailing Address: Transport Canada - Road Safety, 80 rue Noël, Gatineau, (Quebec) J8Z 0A1
Related information
•Recall information (p. 58)
• Occupant safety (p. 56)
Recall information
On our website, select the "Own" tab on the upper left side of the screen and click the head-ing "Recall Information" on the right side of thescreen. Enter your Vehicle Identification Number(VIN) for your vehicle (found at the base of thewindshield). If your vehicle has any open Recalls,they will be displayed on this page. You can also enter the Vehicle Identification Number in the search field on the NationalHighway Traffic Safety Administration's (NHTSA)website at: www.nhtsa.gov.
Volvo customers in Canada
For any questions regarding open recalls for your vehicle, please contact your authorized Volvoretailer. If your retailer is unable to answer yourquestions, please contact Volvo Customer Rela-tions at 905 695-9626, Monday through Friday,8:30 A.M. to 5:00 P.M. EST or by e-mail [email protected]. You may also write us at: Volvo Cars of CanadaNational Customer Service9130 Leslie Street, Suite 101Richmond Hill, Ontario L4B 0B9www.tc.gc.ca
Related information
•Occupant safety (p. 56)
• Reporting safety defects (p. 57)
Safety during pregnancy The seat belt should always be worn during pregnancy. However, it is crucial that it be worncorrectly.
The diagonal section should wrap over the shoul- der then be routed between the breasts and tothe side of the belly. The lap section should layflat over the thighs and as low as possible underthe belly. It must never be allowed to ride upward.Remove all slack from the belt and ensure that itfits close to the body without any twists. As a pregnancy progresses, pregnant drivers should adjust their seats and steering wheel suchthat they can easily maintain control of the vehi-cle as they drive (which means they must be ableto easily operate the foot pedals and steeringwheel). Within this context, they should strive toposition the seat with as large a distance as pos-sible between their belly and the steering wheel.
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Related information
•Buckling and unbuckling seat belts (p. 62)
• Adjusting power front seats
* (p. 163)
• Manually operated front seats (p. 162)
Whiplash protection system
The Whiplash protection system (WHIPS) con- sists of specially designed hinges and bracketson the front seat backrests designed to helpabsorb some of the energy generated in a colli-sion from the rear (when the vehicle is rear-ended).
FunctionIn the event of certain rear-end collisions, the hinges and brackets of the front seat backrestsare designed to change position slightly to allowthe backrest/head restraint to help support theoccupant's head before moving slightly rearward.This movement helps absorb some of the forcesthat could result in whiplash.
WARNING
• The WHIPS system is designed to sup- plement the other safety systems in yourvehicle. For this system to function prop-erly, the three-point seat belt must beworn. Please be aware that no systemcan prevent all possible injuries that mayoccur in an accident.
• The WHIPS system is designed to func-tion in certain collisions from the rear,depending on the crash severity, angleand speed.
WARNING
•
Occupants in the front seats must never sit out of position. The occupant's backmust be as upright as comfort allows andbe against the seat back with the seatbelt properly fastened.
• If your vehicle has been involved in a rear-end collision, the front seat backrestsmust be inspected by a trained and quali-fied Volvo service technician, even if theseats appear to be undamaged. Certaincomponents in the WHIPS system mayneed to be replaced.
• Do not attempt to service any componentin the WHIPS system yourself.
WARNING
•Boxes, suitcases, etc. wedged behind the front seats could impede the function ofthe Whiplash Protection System.
• If the rear seat backrests are foldeddown, cargo must be secured to preventit from sliding forward against the frontseat backrests in the event of a collisionfrom the rear. This could interfere withthe action of the Whiplash ProtectionSystem.
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Do not place any objects behind the front seats that could impede the WHIPS function
WARNING
Any contact between the front seat backrests and the folded rear seat or a rear-facing childseat could impede the function of the WHIPSsystem. If the rear seat is folded down, theoccupied front seats must be adjusted for-ward so that they do not touch the folded rearseat.
Related information
• General safety information (p. 56)
• Rear Collision Warning (RCW) (p. 308)
• Manually operated front seats (p. 162)
• Power front seats
* (p. 162)
Seat belts
Seat belts should always be worn by all occu- pants of your vehicle. Children should be prop-erly restrained, using an infant, car, or boosterseat determined by age, weight and height.
Most states and provinces make it mandatory for occupants of a vehicle to use seat belts.
Reversible seat belt pretensionersReversible seat belt pretensioners is a system inthe front seats that pulls the seat belts slightlytaut prior to a collision. This function helps posi-tion the front seat occupants to help improve theeffects of other safety systems, e.g., the airbagsystem.
Seat belt maintenanceCheck periodically that the seat belts are in goodcondition. Use water and a mild detergent forcleaning. Check seat belt mechanism function asfollows: attach the seat belt and pull rapidly onthe strap.
WARNING
• Never repair the belt yourself; have this work done by a trained and qualifiedVolvo service technician only.
• Any device used to induce slack into theshoulder belt portion of the three-pointbelt system will have a detrimental effecton the amount of protection available toyou in the event of a collision.
• The seat back should not be tilted too farback. The shoulder belt must be taut inorder to function properly.
• Do not use child safety seats or childbooster 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.
Related information
• Buckling and unbuckling seat belts (p. 62)
• Door and seat belt reminders (p. 64)
• Seat belt pretensioners (p. 61)
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Seat belt pretensioners The vehicle's seat belts are equipped with stand- ard and electric pretensioners that can help pullthe seat belts taut in a critical situation or a colli-sion. Some or all of the pretensioners will betriggered in certain types of collisions, depend-ing on the direction and severity of the impact.
Reversible seat belt pretensionersReversible seat belt pretensioners is a system in the front seats that pulls the seat belts slightlytaut prior to a collision. This function helps posi-tion the front seat occupants to help improve theeffects of other safety systems, e.g., the airbagsystem.
Seat belt pretensioners in collisionsThe seat belts are equipped with standard pre-tensioners that are triggered according to theseverity of a collision.
Seat belt pretensioners in critical
situations
In addition to the standard pretensioners, theseat belts in the front seats are also equippedwith electric pretensioners. The pretensioners interact and can be triggered along with the City Safety and Rear CollisionWarning systems. In critical situations such assudden braking, evasive maneuvers, etc., the seatbelt can be pulled taut by the pretensioner'selectric motor. The electric pretensioner positions the occupantin the seat to help reduce the risk of striking theinterior of the passenger compartment andimproves the effect of other safety systems suchas the airbags.
Resetting the electric pretensioners
When a critical situation has passed, the seat belt and the electric pretensioner are reset automati-cally. If the seat belt should remain taut:
1. Stop the vehicle safely.
2. Unbuckle the seat belt and rebuckle it.
> The seat belt and the electric preten-sioner will be reset.
WARNING
• Never repair the belt yourself; have this work done by a trained and qualifiedVolvo service technician only.
• Any device used to induce slack into theshoulder belt portion of the three-pointbelt system will have a detrimental effecton the amount of protection available toyou in the event of a collision.
• The seat back should not be tilted too farback. The shoulder belt must be taut inorder to function properly.
• Do not use child safety seats or childbooster 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.
Related information
• Seat belts (p. 60)
• Door and seat belt reminders (p. 64)
• Buckling and unbuckling seat belts (p. 62)
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The seat belt should be positioned over the shoulder (not over the arm)
4. Tighten the lap section of the seat belt bypulling the diagonal section upward toward the shoulder.
The lap section of the belt must be positioned low on the hips (not pressing against the abdomen)
Make sure that the shoulder belt is rolled up into its retractor and that the shoulder andlap belts are taut.
WARNING
Never use a seat belt for more than one occupant. Never wear the shoulder portion ofthe belt under the arm, behind the back orotherwise out of position. Such use couldcause injury in the event of an accident. Asseat belts lose much of their strength whenexposed to violent stretching, they should bereplaced after any collision, even if theyappear to be undamaged.
Unbuckling the seat beltTo remove the seat belt, press the red section on the seat belt receptacle. Before exiting the vehi-cle, check that the seat belt retracts fully afterbeing unbuckled. If necessary, guide the beltback into the retractor slot.
Related information
• Door and seat belt reminders (p. 64)
• Seat belts (p. 60)
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NOTE
•Deployment of front airbags occurs only one time during an accident. In a collisionwhere deployment occurs, the airbagsand seat belt pretensioners activate.Some noise occurs and a small amountof powder is released. The release of thepowder may appear as smoke-like matter.This is a normal characteristic and doesnot indicate fire.
• Volvo's front airbags use special sensorsthat are integrated with the front seatbuckles. The point at which the airbagdeploys is determined by whether or notthe seat belt is being used, as well as theseverity of the collision.
• Collisions can occur where only one ofthe airbags deploys. If the impact is lesssevere, but severe enough to present aclear injury risk, the airbags are triggeredat partial capacity. If the impact is moresevere, the airbags are triggered at fullcapacity.
WARNING
• Do not use child safety seats or child booster cushions/backrests in the frontpassenger's seat. We also recommendthat occupants under 4 feet 7 inches(140 cm) in height who have outgrownthese devices sit in the rear seat with theseat belt fastened. See also the Occu-pant Weight Sensor information,.
• Never drive with the airbags deployed.The fact that they hang out can impair thesteering of your vehicle. Other safety sys-tems can also be damaged.
• The smoke and dust formed when theairbags are deployed can cause skin andeye irritation in the event of prolongedexposure.
Should you have questions about any componentin the SRS system, please contact a trained andqualified Volvo service technician or Volvo cus-tomer support: In the USA Volvo Car USA, LLC Customer Care Center1 Volvo DriveP.O. Box 914Rockleigh, New Jersey 07647 1-800-458-1552www.volvocars.com/us In Canada Volvo Cars of Canada Corp. National Customer Service9130 Leslie Street, Suite 101Richmond Hill, Ontario L4B 0B91-800-663-8255www.volvocars.com/ca
Airbag decals
Airbag decal on the outside of both sun visors
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Inflatable curtainsThe inflatable curtain is designed to help protect the heads of the occupants of the front seatsand the occupant of the outboard rear seatingpositions in certain side impact collisions.
This system consists of inflatable curtains located along the sides of the roof liners, stretching fromthe center of both front side windows to the rearedge of the rear side door windows. In certain side impacts, both the Inflatable Cur-
tain (IC) and the side Impact Airbag System (SIPS airbag) will deploy. The IC and the SIPSairbag deploy simultaneously.
WARNING
• Never try to open or repair any compo- nents of the IC system. This should bedone only by a trained and qualified Volvoservice technician.
• Never hang heavy items from the ceilinghandles. This could impede deploymentof the Inflatable Curtain.
• The cargo area and rear seat should notbe loaded to a level higher than 4 in.(10 cm) below the upper edge of the rearside windows. Objects placed higher thanthis level could impede the function ofthe Inflatable Curtain.
• 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.
Related information
• Airbag system (p. 65)
• Side impact airbags (p. 72)
• Child safety (p. 75)
• Seat belts (p. 60)
Safety mode As a safety precaution after a collision, the func- tionality of some of the vehicle's systems may bereduced.
If the vehicle has been involved in a collision, the text Safety mode may appear in the information
display.
NOTE
This text can only be shown if the display is undamaged and the vehicle's electrical sys-tem is intact.
Safety mode is a feature that is triggered if one or more of the safety systems such as the front/side airbags inflatable curtain, etc., or one ormore of the seat belt pretensioners has deployed.The collision may have damaged an importantfunction in the vehicle, such as the fuel lines,sensors for one of the safety systems, the brakesystem, etc.