Sitting position for Your Volkswagen E Golf 4 Door Second Generation (2017-2020)

Sitting position  
Introduction to the topic  
Number of seats  
The vehicle has a total of five seats: two at the front and three at the rear.  
Each seat is equipped with a seat belt.  
WARNING  
Assuming an incorrect sitting position in the vehicle can increase the risk of severe or fatal  
injuries during a sudden driving or braking manoeuvre, in the event of a collision or accident, or  
if the airbags are triggered.  
All vehicle occupants must assume a correct sitting position before setting off and maintain  
this position throughout the trip. This also applies to the fastening of seat belts.  
The number of vehicle occupants must never exceed the number of seats with seat belts in  
the vehicle.  
Always secure children in the vehicle in an authorised child restraint system which is  
suitable for their height and weight (→ Child seats, Description) and (→ Airbag system,  
Description) (→ Advanced airbag system, Description).  
Always keep your feet in the footwell while the vehicle is in motion. Never place your feet  
on the seat or dash panel, for example, and never ride with your feet out of the window. If  
you sit like this, the airbag and seat belt cannot provide optimal protection and could  
actually increase the risk of injury during an accident.  
The dangers of assuming an incorrect sitting position  
If the seat belts are not worn or are worn incorrectly, the risk of severe or fatal injuries increases.  
Seat belts can only provide optimal protection if the seat belt routing is correct. Assuming an  
incorrect sitting position considerably impairs the level of protection provided by a seat belt. This  
could lead to severe or even fatal injuries. The risk of severe or fatal injuries is especially  
increased when a deploying airbag strikes a vehicle occupant who has assumed an incorrect  
sitting position. The driver is responsible for all occupants transported in the vehicle, especially  
children.  
The following list contains examples of sitting positions that can be dangerous for all vehicle  
occupants.  
Whenever the vehicle is in motion:  
Never stand in the vehicle.  
Never stand on the seats.  
Never kneel on the seats.  
Never tilt the backrest too far to the rear.  
Never lean against the dash panel.  
Never lie on the seats in the passenger compartment and on the rear bench seat.  
Never sit on the front edge of a seat.  
Never sit sideways.  
Never lean out of a window.  
Never put your feet out of a window.  
Never put your feet on the dash panel.  
Never place your feet on the seat cushion or seat backrest.  
Never travel in a footwell.  
Never sit on the armrests.  
Never travel on a seat without wearing the seat belt.  
Never travel in the luggage compartment.  
WARNING  
Every incorrect sitting position in the vehicle increases the risk of severe or fatal injuries in the  
event of an accident or sudden driving or braking manoeuvre.  
All vehicle occupants must maintain a correct sitting position and wear their seat belt  
properly while the vehicle is in motion.  
Sitting in an incorrect position, not fastening the seat belt, or not leaving adequate space  
between the occupants and the airbags could result in critical or fatal injuries, especially if  
the airbags deploy and strike an occupant who has assumed an incorrect sitting position.  
Correct sitting position  
Fig. 1 Illustration: correct distance between the driver and the steering wheel, correct seat belt  
routing and correct head restraint adjustment.  
The following describes the correct sitting positions for the driver and passengers.  
If any vehicle occupants cannot assume a correct sitting position due to their physical build, they  
should contact a qualified workshop to find out about possible special modifications. The seat  
belts and airbags can only provide a maximum level of protection if a correct sitting position is  
assumed. Volkswagen recommends using a Volkswagen dealership for this purpose.  
Volkswagen recommends the following seating position for your own safety and to reduce the  
level of injury in the event of a sudden braking manoeuvre or an accident:  
The following applies to all vehicle occupants:  
Adjust the head restraint so that its upper edge is at the same height as the top of the head,  
but not lower than eye level. Position the back of your head as close to the head restraint as  
possible at all times Fig. 1 .  
For small people, push the head restraint all the way down, even if the head is then located  
underneath the top edge of the head restraint.  
For tall people, push the head restraint up as far as it will go.  
Keep both feet in the footwell while the vehicle is in motion.  
Adjust and fasten seat belts properly (→ Seat belts, Description).  
Additional points for the driver:  
Adjust the steering wheel so that the distance between the steering wheel and your  
breastbone is at least 25 cm Fig. 1 A and the circumference of the steering wheel can be  
held at the sides with both hands and your arms slightly bent.  
The steering wheel must always point towards the breastbone and not towards the face.  
Move the backrest into an upright position so that your back rests fully against it.  
Adjust the driver seat by moving it forwards or backwards so that you are able to press the  
pedals to the floor with your knees still slightly bent and so that the distance from the dash  
panel to your knees is at least 10 cm Fig. 1 B  
.
Adjust the height so that you can reach the highest point of the steering wheel.  
Always leave both feet in the footwell to help ensure you maintain control of the vehicle at all  
times.  
Additional points for the front passenger:  
Move the backrest into an upright position so that your back rests fully against it.  
Push the front passenger seat as far back as possible so that the airbag can provide maximum  
protection if it is deployed.