154 Seat belts
The speed of the vehicle is, nevertheless, the most important factor. Doubling the
speed of the vehicle from 25 km/h up to 50 km/hour increases the kinetic energy
four times.
WARNING (Continued)
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The belt webbing must not run across solid or fragile objects (e.g. specta-
cles, ball-point pens, keys etc.) as this may be a cause of injuries.
The common opinion that it is possible to support your body in a minor accident
with your hands, is incorrect. Even in a collision at only a low speed, the forces
acting on the body are such that it is no longer possible to support your body.
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Many layers of clothing and loose clothing (e. g. a winter coat over a jacket)
do not allow you to be correctly seated and impairs proper operation of the
seat belts.
Even if you only drive at a speed within the range from 30 km/hour to 50 km/hour,
the forces which are produced on your body in the event of an accident can easily
exceed 10.000 N (Newton). This equals a weight of one tonne (1 000 kg).
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It is prohibited to use clamps or other objects to adjust seat belts (e. g. for
shortening the belts for smaller persons).
The lock tongue should only be inserted into the lock which is the correct
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In the event of a frontal collision, occupants of the vehicle not wearing a seat belt,
are thrown forward and strike in an uncontrolled way parts of the interior of the
vehicle, such as steering wheel, dash panel, windscreen, ⇒ꢀfig. 140 - left. The occu-
pants of a vehicle who have not fastened their seat belts may even be thrown out
of the vehicle. This can result in fatal injuries.
one for your seat. Wrong use of the safety belt will reduce its capacity to pro-
tect and the risk of injury increases.
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The seat backrests of the front seats must not be tilted too far to the rear
otherwise the seatbelts can lose their effectiveness.
The three-point seat belt for the rear middle seat can only fulfil its func-
tion reliably when the backrests are correctly locked into position ⇒ꢀpage 76.
The belt webbing must always be kept clean. Soiled belt webbing may im-
pair proper operation of the inertia reel ⇒ꢀpage 194, Seat belts.
The slot of the belt tongue must not be blocked by paper or similar objects
otherwise the belt tongue will not lock in place properly.
Inspect the seat belts regularly to ensure they are in good condition. If you
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It is also important that rear seat occupants fasten their seat belts as they will
otherwise be thrown through the vehicle in an uncontrolled manner in the event
of an accident A rear seat passenger who has not fastened the seat belt is a dan-
ger not only to himself but also for those seated at the front ⇒ꢀfig. 140 - right.
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Important safety information regarding the use of
seat belts
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find seat belts which have damage to the belt, the seat belt connections, to
the inertia reel or to the lock, the relevant seat belt must be replaced by a
specialist garage.
The correct use of the seat belts considerably reduces the risk of
injury!
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The seat belts must not be removed or changed in any way. Do not make
an attempt to repair the seat belts yourself.
Damaged seat belts which have been subjected to stress in an accident
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WARNING
and were therefore stretched, must be replaced - this is best done by a spe-
cialist garage. The anchorage points of the belts must also be inspected. The
anchorage points for the belts should also be checked.
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The belt webbing must not be jammed in-between at any point or twisted,
or chafe against any sharp edges.
It is important that the belt webbing is properly routed if the seat belts are
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In certain countries it is possible to use seat belts which differ in terms of
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their operation from the seat belts which are described on the pages which
follow.
to offer their maximum protection ⇒ꢀpage 155, How are seat belts correctly
fastened?.
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No two persons (also not children) should ever use a single seat belt to-
gether.
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The maximum protection which seat belts can offer is only achieved if you
are correctly seated ⇒ꢀpage 150, Correct seated position.
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