Child safety186
• If children lean forward or are otherwise out of position when
the car is moving, they are at greater risk of injury in an accident.
This is particularly the case if the child is travelling on the front
passenger's seat and the airbag system is triggered in an accident.
There is then a risk of serious or potentially fatal injury.
• To ensure proper protection, it is important to wear the seat
belts in the correct position ⇒ page 173, “How to wear seat belts
properly”. Always check that the belt is properly positioned
according to the instructions provided by the manufacturer of the
child safety seat. Incorrectly worn seat belts can give rise to inju-
ries even in a minor collision.
• Never install a rearward-facing child safety seat on the front
passenger's seat if the front passenger's airbag has not been deac-
tivated ⇒ page 186.
• Extra caution is advised if you are installing a child safety seat
using the same mounting bolts as the existing car seat belts. The
bolts must be screwed in all the way to the full depth of the
mounting holes and tightened to a torque of 50 Nm. Failure to
observe this precaution could result in potentially fatal injury. We
recommend having the installation performed by a qualified
workshop.
Using a child safety seat on the front
passenger's seat
Whenever possible, child safety seats should always be
installed on the rear seat.
For safety reasons, we recommend that child safety seats should be
installed on the rear seats whenever possible. However, if you have
to use a child seat on the front passenger's seat when there is no
other alternative, it is most important to note the following warn-
ings:
WARNING
• Do not use a rearward-facing child safety seat on the front
passenger's seat unless the front passenger's airbag has been
deactivated. The child seat would be directly in the path of the
airbag as it inflates, and the child could sustain serious or fatal
injuries if the airbag were to be deployed.
• However, if you have no alternative but to use a rearward-
facing child seat on the front passenger's seat, the front
passenger's airbag must be deactivated beforehand by means of
the key-operated switch* ⇒ page 183. Failure to observe this
precaution could result in serious or potentially fatal injury.
• Make sure that the front passenger's airbag is reactivated by
means of the key-operated switch* as soon as the child seat is no
longer needed on the front passenger's seat.
• When using a child safety seat of the type which faces in the
direction of travel, the front passenger's seat must be moved back
to the rearmost position.
Child safety seats
Child seat categories
Only use child restraint systems that are officially
approved and suitable for the child.
Child restraint systems are covered by the European standard
ECE R 44 (issued by the Economic Commission of Europe).
The child seats are divided into 5 categories:
WARNING (continued)
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