Saab 9-5, Owner'S Manual

Page: 30 / 272

30 Safety
WARNING
• Even if the car is equipped with AIR-
BAG, safety belts must still always be
worn by all occupants.
• Note that because an airbag inflates
and deflates extremely rapidly, it will
not provide protection against a
second impact occurring in the same
incident. Always use your safety belt.
• Always sit with the whole of your back
in contact with the backrest of the seat,
and with your seat as far back as is
practical. Otherwise you will be thrown
back against the backrest when the
airbag inflates which could cause you
injury or death. The airbag needs
room in which to inflate.
• Never attach anything to the steering
wheel or passenger side of the instru-
ment panel, as this could result in
injury if the airbag should inflate. The
same applies to anything you might
have in your mouth, such as a pipe, for
instance.
• Some components of the airbag will
be warm for a short time. In some cir-
cumstances the airbag can cause
minor burns or abrasions to the body
when the airbag inflates/deflates.
• To reduce the risk of head injuries in
the event of a crash, the headliner and
pillar trims incorporate energy absorb-
ing material. These areas must not be
modified in any way. Work on these
areas must only be carried out by an
authorized Saab dealer.
• Fumes are generated by the chemical
reaction that inflates the airbag.
Because the dust/fumes can, in cer-
tain cases, cause irritation to the skin,
the following measures should be
taken:
Skin surfaces that show signs of irrita-
tion should be washed with clean
water and a mild soap as soon as pos-
sible.
In the event of eye irritation, flush the
eyes thoroughly with clean water for at
least 20 minutes.
In case of persistent irritation, consult
a doctor.
• Never rest your hands or forearms on
the steering-wheel center padding.
• If the AIR BAG warning light does not
extinguish after the car has been
started, or comes on or flashes while
driving, have the car checked immedi-
ately by a workshop. We recommend
that you contact an authorized Saab
dealer. The warning light could signify
that the airbags may not inflate in a
crash, or they could even inflate with-
out a crash. See page 61.
IB420
Passenger airbag and driver’s airbag both
inflated
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