Wearing safety belts improperly can cause serious injury or death. Safety belts can only work when
they are correctly positioned on the body. A properly worn safety belt also helps to position the occu-
pant so that an airbag can provide maximum protection when deployed. Therefore, always fasten your
safety belt and make sure that it is properly positioned over your body.
Improper seating positions reduce the effectiveness of safety belts and even increase the risk of injury
or death by moving the safety belt to critical areas of the body. Improper seating positions also in-
crease the risk of severe injury or death when an airbag deploys and strikes an occupant who is not
seated properly,
Adjusting the seating position
.
Proper safety belt position
x
The shoulder belt part of the safety belt must run through the belt loop on the seat backrest.
x
The shoulder portion of the safety belt must always run over the center of the shoulder and never
over the throat, over the arm, under the arm or behind the back.
x
The lap portion of the safety belt must always run as low as possible over the pelvis and never
over the abdomen.
x
Always wear the safety belt flat and snug against the body. Pull on the safety belt to tighten if
necessary.
Expectant mothers
must always wear the lap portion of the safety belt as low as possible across the
pelvis and below the rounding of the abdomen – throughout the pregnancy. The safety belt must lie
flat against the body to avoid pressure against the abdomen
⇒
fig. 62
.
Adjusting safety belt height
The safety belt position can be adjusted using the following feature:
x
Front seats with height adjustment.
WARNING
Improperly positioned safety belts can cause serious personal injury in an accident or a
sudden braking maneuver.
x
Always make sure that all vehicle occupants are correctly restrained and stay in a correct
seating position whenever the vehicle is being used.
x
Safety belts offer optimum protection only when the seat backrest is upright and belts are
correctly positioned on the body.
x
A loose-fitting safety belt can cause serious injuries by shifting its position on your body
from the strong bones to more vulnerable soft tissue and cause serious injury.
x
The shoulder belt portion of the safety belt must be positioned over the middle of the
occupant's shoulder and never across the neck or throat.
x
The safety belt must lie flat and snug on the occupant's upper body.
x
Never wear the shoulder part of the safety belt under your arm or otherwise out of
position.
x
The lap portion of the safety belt must be positioned as low as possible across the pelvis
and never over the abdomen. Make sure the belt lies flat and snug against the pelvis. Pull on
the safety belt to tighten if necessary.
x
Expectant mothers must always wear the lap portion of the safety belt as low as possible
across the pelvis and below the rounding of the abdomen.
x
Do not twist the belt when attaching it. If you cannot untwist a twisted safety belt, wear it
anyway, but make sure the twisted part is not in contact with your body. Have the problem
corrected right away by an authorized Volkswagen dealer or authorized Volkswagen Service
Facility.
x
Never hold the safety belt away from your body with your hand.
x
Never wear belts over rigid or breakable objects, such as eyeglasses, pens or keys.
x
Never modify the position of the belt using comfort clips, loops or similar devices.
