Adjusting - BMW M5 Owner's Handbook Manual

Adjusting

Safe seated position
A seated position that suitably reflects your
requirements is a vital condition of relaxed driv-
ing with a minimum of fatigue. In conjunction
with the seat belts, the head restraints and the
airbags, the correct seated position also has a
major influence on the passive safety of the
car's occupants in the event of an accident. You
should therefore observe the following notes in
order to maintain the protective function of the
car's safety systems.
For additional notes on carrying children in
safety, see page 45.
Airbags
Keep your distance from the airbags.
Always grip the steering wheel on the rim,
with your hands in the 3 o'clock and 9 o'clock
positions, to minimise the risk of injury to the
hands or arms in the event of the airbag being
triggered off. No other persons, pets or objects
should be held or permitted to remain between
the airbag and yourself. Do not use the front air-
bag cover on the front passenger's side as a
tray. Make sure that front passengers likewise
adopt a correct seated position and do not rest
their feet or legs on the instrument panel, other-
wise they could sustain leg injuries in the event
of the front airbag being triggered
Even if all these instructions are complied with,
certain injuries as a result of contact with the
airbag cannot be entirely ruled out, depending
on the circumstances in which an accident
occurs. Occupants with sensitive hearing may
be subject to brief and generally temporary
impaired hearing caused by the ignition and
inflation noise.
The locations of the airbags and additional
notes are given on page 73.
Online Edition for Part-No. 01 41 0 159 168 © 03/05 BMW AG
Head restraints
Head restraints adjusted to the correct height
reduce the risk of injuries to the neck in the
event of an accident.
Adjust the head restraint so that its centre
is at approximately ear level, otherwise
there will be an increased risk of injury in the
event of an
Seat belt
All occupants should always fasten their seat
belt before you set off. The airbags are a com-
plementary safety feature and not a substitute
for the seat belts.
Never restrain more than one person with
each seat belt. Babies or small children
must not travel on the lap of another occupant.
Pregnant women should also wear the seat belt,
making sure that the strap in the pelvic area is
well down on the hips and does not press on the
abdominal region of the body. The seat belt
must not pass across the neck, become
trapped at any point or chafe against any sharp
edges. The seat belt should not be twisted and
must be positioned firmly over the pelvis and
shoulder, as close to the body as possible. It
should not pass over hard or fragile objects,
otherwise the belt in the pelvic area could slide
over the hips in the event of a head-on collision
off.<
and injure the lower abdomen. Avoid wearing
bulky clothing and regularly pull the belt in the
upper-body area taut, otherwise its restraining
effect could be
Operating seat belts, see page 39.
Seats
Note before adjusting
Do not reposition the driver's seat while
the car is in motion. The seat could move
unexpectedly, leading to the driver losing con-
trol of the car, so that an accident could be
accident.<
impaired.<
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