2023 CITROEN C3 Owners Manual

23
Safety
5General safety
recommendations
Do not remove the labels attached in
different places on your vehicle. They
include safety warnings as well as
identification information for the vehicle.
For all work on your vehicle, use a
qualified workshop that has the technical
information, skills and equipment required, all
of which a CITROËN dealer is able to
provide.
Installing electrical accessories:
– The fitting of electrical equipment
or accessories not approved by CITROËN
may cause excessive current consumption
and failure of the vehicle's electrical system.
Contact a CITROËN dealer for information on
the range of approved accessories.
–

As a safety measure, access to the
diagnostic socket, used for the vehicle's
electronic systems, is reserved strictly for
CITROËN dealers, equipped with the special
tools required (risk of malfunctions of the
vehicle's electronic systems that could cause
breakdowns or serious accidents).

The
Manufacturer cannot be held responsible if
this advice is not followed.
–

Any modification or adaptation not intended
or authorised by CITROËN or carried out
without meeting the technical requirements
defined by the Manufacturer will result in the
suspension of the commercial warranty.
Hazard warning lamps



► Pressing the red button causes all the
direction indicators to flash.
They can operate with the ignition off.
Horn

► Press the central part of the steering wheel.
Anti-lock Braking System (ABS) and Electronic
Brake Force Distribution
(EBFD)
These systems enhance the vehicle’s stability
and handling during braking, and enable greater
control while cornering, particularly on poor or
slippery road surfaces.
ABS prevents wheel locking in the event of
emergency braking.
EBFD manages the braking pressure wheel by
wheel.
This warning lamp is continuously on in
the event of an ABS malfunction.
The vehicle retains conventional braking. Drive
carefully at a moderate speed.
Contact a CITROËN dealer as soon as possible.
This warning lamp, accompanied by an audible signal, indicates an EBFD
malfunction.
You must stop as soon as it is safe to do so.
Contact a CITROËN dealer.
The normal operation of the ABS may result in slight vibrations in the brake
pedal.
When braking in an emergency, press
the brake pedal very firmly and
maintain this pressure.

24
Safety
When changing wheels (tyres and rims),
ensure that these are approved by the
manufacturer for your vehicle.
After an impact, have these systems checked by a CITROËN dealer.
Seat belts
Inertia reel
The seat belts are equipped with an inertia reel
which allows the strap length to automatically
adjust to your shape. The seat belt returns to its
storage automatically when it is not used.
The inertia reels are fitted with a device which
automatically locks the strap in the event of a
collision, emergency braking or if the vehicle rolls
over. It can be released by pulling the strap firmly
and then releasing it so that it reels in slightly.
Force limiter
This system reduces the pressure of the seat
belt on the chest of the occupant, thus improving
their protection.
Front seat belts

The front driver seat belt is fitted with inertia reel
and a force limiting system.
The front passenger seat belt is equipped with
inertia reel.
Rear seat belts

The outer seats have a belt with inertia reel.
Before performing any operations on the
rear seats, to avoid damage to the seat
belts, check that:
–

the outer seat belts are correctly in the
storage position, lying vertically along the
pillar

,
–

the central seat belt is stowed.
Fastening
► To fasten the seat belt, pull the webbing and
insert the tongue into the buckle.
►
Check whether the seat belt is fastened
correctly by pulling the webbing.
If the driver or co-driver seat belt is not fastened
while the ignition is ON, the seat belt warning
lamp chimes and illuminates until the seat belt is
fastened.

25
Safety
5Unlocking
► To unfasten the seat belt, press the red
button written “PRESS” on the buckle.
►
Allow the belt to retract and make sure the
webbing is not twisted.
T

wisted webbing would not allow smooth
retraction of the belt.
Seat belt not fastened/
unfastened alerts
It comes on in red in the instrument panel
once the system detects that a seat belt is
not fastened or is unfastened.
Advice
The driver must ensure that passengers use the seat belts correctly and that they
are all fastened before setting off.
Wherever seated in the vehicle, you must
always fasten the seat belt, even for short
journeys.
Do not interchange the seat belt buckles, as
they will not fulfil their role fully.
Before and after use, ensure that the seat belt
is reeled in correctly.
After folding or moving a seat or rear bench
seat, ensure that the seat belt is positioned
and reeled in correctly.
While fastening the seat belt ensure that strap
must pass over your chest and top of your
shoulder and not touch your face, neck, side
of your shoulder or pass under your arm.
An accident or sudden stop could damage
the seat belt, please have your seat belts
inspected by authorized dealers after an
accident or sudden stop.
Do not use a damaged seat belt which would
result in serious injury.
Installation
The lower part of the strap must be
positioned as low as possible on the pelvis.
The upper part must be positioned on the
shoulder.
In order to be effective, a seat belt:
–

must be tightened as close to the body as
possible;
–


must be pulled in front of you with a smooth
movement, ensuring that it is not twisted;
–


must only be used to secure one person;
–


must not show signs of tearing or fraying;
–


must not be changed or modified, in order
to avoid affecting its performance.
Do not wear your seat belt over hard or
breakable objects in your pockets or on your
clothing. If an accident occurs, objects such
as glasses, pens, etc. under the seat belt can
cause injury

.
Recommendations for children
Use a suitable child seat if the passenger
is less than 12 years old or shorter than one
and a half metres.
Never use the same seat belt to secure more
than one child.
Never carry a child on your lap.
For more information on Child seats, refer to
the corresponding section.
Recommendations for pregnant
women
Pregnant women should use seat belts,
although specific recommendations about
driving should be made by the woman's
medical advisor. Remember that the lap
portion of the belt should be worn as low as
possible across the hips.
A pregnant woman should not wear the seat
belt across the stomach which would result in
serious injury to the fetus and/or the pregnant
mother.
Maintenance
In accordance with current safety
regulations, for all repairs on your vehicle's
seat belts, go to a qualified workshop with
the skills and equipment needed, which a
CITROËN dealer is able to provide.
Have the seat belts checked regularly by a
CITROËN dealer, particularly if the straps
show signs of damage.

26
Safety
Clean the seat belt straps with soapy water or
a textile cleaning product, sold by CITROËN
dealers.
Airbags
General information
The airbags have been designed to optimise the
safety of the occupants in the event of a violent
collision.
The airbags are supplementary restraint systems
(SRS) that help cushion the impact force to the
head and chest during severe frontal collisions.
The SRS includes Airbags, Seatbelts, Airbag
ECU, Collision sensors and SRS warning lamp.
Electronic detectors record and analyse the front
impacts sustained in the impact detection zones:
–
In the event of violent impact, the airbags
deploy instantly and help better protect the
occupants of the vehicle; immediately after the
impact, the airbags deflate rapidly in order not
to hinder the visibility or the possible exit of the
occupants.
–


In the event of a slight impact, a rear impact
and under certain rollover conditions, the airbags
may not deploy; only the seat belt helps to
protect you in these situations.
During a frontal crash, children could be fatally
injured if they are sitting on driver

’s lap/standing
very close to the dashboard, as the airbags exert
severe force levels during deployment.
The seriousness of the impact depends on the
nature of the obstacle and the speed of the
vehicle at the moment of collision.
The airbags do not operate when the
ignition is switched off.
This equipment will only deploy once. If a
second impact occurs (during the same or a
subsequent accident), the airbag will not be
deployed again.
When one or more airbags are deployed,
the detonation of the pyrotechnic charge
incorporated in the system makes a noise and
releases a small quantity of smoke.
This smoke is not harmful, but sensitive
individuals may experience slight irritation.
The detonation noise associated with the
deployment of one or more airbags may result
in a slight loss of hearing for a short time.
The airbags will deploy irrespective of whether the seat belt is buckled or not. In
order to reduce the risk of SERIOUS INJURY
or DEATH, we recommend occupants to
always be buckled.
Front airbags

This system protects the driver and front
passenger in the event of a serious front impact,
in order to limit the risk of head and chest
injuries.
The driver's airbag is fitted in the centre of the
steering wheel; the front passenger airbag is
fitted in the dashboard above the glove box.
Deployment
1. Frontal collision Airbags may deploy during severe front
collision when the crash intensity is above
the threshold and the angle of impact is less
than or equal to 30 degrees with respect to
longitudinal axis of vehicle.
2. Collision with utility poles or trees Airbags may deploy when the vehicle hits
pole or tree with sufficient intensity to trigger
the airbag. The crash intensity should be
above the threshold to inflate the airbag.
3. Underride collision Airbags may deploy when the vehicle rides
under the trucks or vehicles with higher
ground clearance. The crash intensity should
be above the threshold to inflate the airbag.

27
Safety
5Non-inflation conditions
1. Low speed front collisionsThe airbags may not deploy if the collision is
not severe and below the design threshold
intensity. The force of impact is less in this
case and much of the protection during low
speed crash is provided by seat belts, if
properly worn.
2. Rear collisions Frontal airbags are not designed to deploy
when there is a rear crash, since the
occupants tend to move backwards. In this
case, the airbags will not provide any benefit
to cushion the force of impact.
3. Side collisions Frontal airbags may not deploy during side
crash, since the occupant moves sideways.
4. Angled collisions Airbags may not deploy if the angle of
collision is beyond 30 degrees with the
head-on vehicle or the rigid wall or curb or
pole.
5. Roll over collisions Frontal airbags may not deploy in roll over
conditions, as the occupant moves sideways
or rolls. Important to wear seat belts in this
case, to avoid floating inside the vehicle and
risk serious injuries.
6. Speed breakers & pot holes Airbags may not deploy when crossing speed
breakers even at high speed or when vehicle
drops into pot hole or ditch drop.7. Curb hitsThe airbag may not deploy when the vehicle
hits the curbs.
8. Pedestrian impact Airbags will not inflate when the vehicle hits
the pedestrian.
Malfunction
If this warning lamp comes on in the
instrument panel, you must contact a
CITROËN dealer to have the system checked.
The airbags may not be deployed in the event of
a serious impact.
Advice
For the airbags to be fully effective,
observe the safety recommendations
below.
Adopt a normal upright sitting position.
Fasten the seat belt ensuring it is correctly
positioned and adjusted.
Do not leave anything between the occupants
and the airbags (a child, pet, object, etc.), nor
fix or attach anything close to or in the way of
the airbag release trajectory; this could cause
injuries during their deployment.
Never modify the original definition of your
vehicle, particularly in the area directly around
the airbags.
After an accident or if the vehicle has been
stolen, have the airbag systems checked.
All work on the airbag systems must only be
performed by a CITROËN dealer.
Even if all of the precautions mentioned
are observed, a risk of injury or of minor
burns to the head, chest or arms cannot be
ruled out when an airbag is deployed. The
airbag inflates almost instantly (within a few
milliseconds) then deflates within the same
time discharging the hot gas via openings
provided for this purpose.
Do not drive holding the steering wheel
by its spokes or resting your hands on
the centre part of the wheel.
Passengers must not place their feet on the
dashboard.
Do not smoke as deployment of the airbags
can cause burns or the risk of injury from a
cigarette or pipe.
Never remove or pierce the steering wheel or
hit it violently.
Do not fix or attach anything to the steering
wheel or dashboard, as this could cause
injuries when the airbags are deployed.

28
Safety
Child seats

Warning label on the sun visor - Front
passenger airbag
NEVER use a rearward facing child restraint on a seat protected by an ACTIVE AIRBAG
in front of it, SERIOUS INJURY to the CHILD may occur.
Do not install a rear-facing child restraint
on the front passenger’s seat.
A child in a rear-facing child restraint could be seriously harmed if the
passenger's front airbag inflates. The inflated
airbag would be too close to the back of a
rear-facing child restraint.
An incorrectly installed child seat compromises the child's safety in the
event of an accident.
Ensure that there is no seat belt or seat belt
buckle under the child seat, as this could
destabilise it.
Remember to fasten the seat belts or the
harness of child seats, keeping the slack
relative to the child's body to a minimum,
even for short journeys.
When installing a child seat using the seat
belt, ensure that the seat belt is tightened
correctly on the child seat and that it secures
the child seat firmly on the seat of the vehicle.
Ensure that the head restraint is stored or
attached securely to prevent it from being
thrown around the vehicle in the event of
sharp braking. Refit the head restraint once
the child seat has been removed.
Additional protections
To prevent accidental opening of the
doors and rear windows, use the "Child lock".
Take care not to open the rear windows by
more than one third.
To protect young children from the rays of the
sun, fit side blinds on the rear windows.
As a safety precaution, do not leave:
–

a child alone and unattended in a vehicle,
–


a child or an animal in a vehicle which is
exposed to the sun, with the windows closed,
–


the keys within reach of children inside the
vehicle.

29
Safety
5Child restraint system
The suitability of each passenger's seat position for carriage of children and fitting of child restraint system is shown below. Whenever you carry children
up to 12 years of age, properly use the child restraints which conform t\
o AIS 072, the standard for child restraints, referring to the table.
Seating position (or other site)
MASS GROUP Front
passenger Rear outboard
LH* Rear centre Rear outboard
RH*Intermediate
outboard* Intermediate
centre
Group 0
Up to 10 kg X
U XXN.A N.A
Group 0+
Up to 13 kg X
U XXN.A N.A
Group 1
9 to 18 kg X
U XXN.A N.A
Group 2
15 to 25 kg X
U XXN.A N.A
Group 3
22 to 36 kg X
U XXN.A N.A
U Suitable for "universal" category restraints approved for use in this ma\
ss group.
Universal is the category in the AIS 072.
X Seat position not suitable for children in this mass group.
N.A Seat position not available for children in this mass group.
* Outboard indicate s window side seat.
ELR type belt
Install your child restraint system according to
the instructions provided by the child restraint
system manufacturer.
Make sure the seat belt is securely latched. Try to move the child restraint system in all
directions to make sure it is securely installed.

30
Safety
Manual child lock
This system prevents opening of a rear door
using its interior handle.
The control is located on the edge of each rear
door (marked by a label).
Locking / Unlocking

► To lock, pull the lever down.
► T o unlock, pull the lever up.
Refer to the legislation in force in your
country before using this system.