01 Safety
Seat belts
01
14
General information
Adjusting the seat belt
Seat belts should always be worn by all occu-
pants of your vehicle. Children should be prop-
erly restrained, using an infant, car, or booster
seat determined by age, weight and height.
Volvo also believes no child should sit in the
front seat of a vehicle.
Most states and provinces make it mandatory
for occupants of a vehicle to use seat belts.
Seat belt pretensioners
All seat belts are equipped with pretensioners
that reduce slack in the belts. These preten-
sioners are triggered in situations where the
front or side impact airbags deploy, and in cer-
tain impacts from the rear. The front seat belts
also include a tension reducing device which,
in the event of a collision, limits the peak forces
exerted by the seat belt on the occupant.
Buckling a seat belt
Pull the belt out far enough to insert the latch
plate into the receptacle until a distinct click is
heard. The seat belt retractor is normally
"unlocked" and you can move freely, provided
that the shoulder belt is not pulled out too far.
The retractor will lock up as follows:
•
if the belt is pulled out rapidly
•
during braking and acceleration
•
if the vehicle is leaning excessively
•
when driving in turns.
To make child seat installation easier, each
seat belt (except for the driver's belt) is equip-
ped with a locking mechanism to help keep the
seat belt taut. See page 34 for more infor-
mation regarding the Automatic Locking
Retractor (ALR).
When wearing the seat belt remember:
•
The belt should not be twisted or turned.
•
The lap section of the belt must be posi-
tioned low on the hips (not pressing against
the abdomen).
•
Make sure that the shoulder belt is rolled
up into its retractor and that the shoulder
and lap belts are taut.
Unbuckling the seat belt
To remove the seat belt, press the red section
on the seat belt receptacle. Before exiting the
vehicle, check that the seat belt retracts fully
after being unbuckled. If necessary, guide the
belt back into the retractor slot.
Seat belt maintenance
Check periodically that the seat belts are in
good condition. Use water and a mild deter-
gent for cleaning. Check seat belt mechanism
function as follows: attach the seat belt and pull
rapidly on the strap.
WARNING
Never use a seat belt for more than one
occupant. Never wear the shoulder portion
of the belt under the arm, behind the back
or otherwise out of position. Such use could
cause injury in the event of an accident. As
seat belts lose much of their strength when
exposed to violent stretching, they should
be replaced after any collision, even if they
appear to be undamaged.
