Seat belts
Introduction
Seat belts are the most effective means of
restricting the movement of vehicle occupants
in the event of an accident or the vehicle rolling
over. This reduces the risk of vehicle occupants
coming into contact with parts of the vehicle
interior or being ejected from the vehicle. Fur-
thermore, the seat belt helps to keep the vehicle
occupant in the best position in relation to the
air bag.
The seat belt system comprises:
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Seat belts
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Emergency Tensioning Devices and seat belt
force limiters
If the seat belt is pulled by the seat belt extender
quickly or with a jerky movement, the belt
retractor locks. The belt strap cannot be extrac-
ted any further.
The Emergency Tensioning Device tightens the
seat belt in an accident, pulling the belt close
against the body. However it does not pull the
vehicle occupant back in the direction of the
backrest.
The Emergency Tensioning Device does not cor-
rect an incorrect seat position or the routing of
an incorrectly fastened seat belt.
When triggered, a seat belt force limiter helps to
reduce the force exerted by the seat belt on the
vehicle occupant.
The seat belt force limiters for the front seats are
synchronized with the front air bags, which
absorb part of the deceleration force. This can
reduce the force exerted on the vehicle occu-
pants during an accident.
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If the front-passenger seat is unoccupied,
do not insert the belt tongue into the buckle of
the front-passenger seat. This may otherwise
lead to the triggering of the Emergency Ten-
sioning Device in the event of an accident,
which will then need to be replaced.
Important safety notes
The use of seat belts and child restraint systems
is required by law in:
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all 50 states
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the U.S. territories
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the District of Columbia
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all Canadian provinces
Even where this is not required by law, all vehicle
occupants should correctly fasten their seat
belts before starting the journey.
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WARNING
If the seat belt is not worn correctly, it cannot
perform its intended protective function. An
incorrectly fastened seat belt can also cause
injuries, for example, in the event of an acci-
dent or when braking or changing direction
abruptly. This poses an increased risk of injury
or even fatal injury.
Always ensure that all vehicle occupants have
their seat belts fastened correctly and are sit-
ting properly.
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WARNING
The seat belt does not offer the intended level
of protection if you have not moved the back-
rest to an almost vertical position. When brak-
ing or in the event of an accident, you could
slide underneath the seat belt and sustain
abdomen or neck injuries, for example. This
poses an increased risk of injury or even fatal
injury.
Adjust the seat properly before beginning
your journey. Always ensure that the backrest
is in an almost vertical position and that the
shoulder section of your seat belt is routed
across the center of your shoulder.
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WARNING
Persons less than 5 ft (1.50 m) tall cannot
wear the seat belt correctly without an addi-
tional and suitable restraint system. If the
seat belt is not worn correctly, it cannot per-
form its intended protective function. An
incorrectly fastened seat belt can also cause
injuries, for example, in the event of an acci-
dent or when braking or changing direction
abruptly. This poses an increased risk of injury
or even fatal injury.
For this reason, always secure persons under
5 ft (1.50 m) tall in suitable additional restraint
systems.
Occupant safety
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Safety
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