Maserati Quattroporte Automatic 2009 Owner's Manual page 28

M139_UM_usa1.book Page 28 Monday, September 1, 2008 2:39 PM
passenger compartment or out of the
vehicle. The airbags are designed to
work together with the seat belts, not
to substitute them. The front airbags
only deploy in the event of certain
head-on collisions of medium or high
intensity. They will not be activated if
the vehicle rolls over, or in the event of
2
rear bumps or minor frontal collisions,
or non-frontal collisions.
Do not fasten your seat belt
using the buckle lock for the
other seat: in the event of an
accident, the lower section of the belt
could press against the upper part of
your stomach rather than the pelvic
area, causing serious internal injuries.
It is extremely dangerous to
travel with the belt positioned
underneath your arm. In the
event of an accident, you would be
thrown forward and would likely
suffer head and neck injuries.
Additionally, if the belt presses against
your ribs, it could cause serious
internal injuries.
The belt must not be twisted;
make sure that it is snugly
fitted to the driver's and
passenger's bodies. In fact, in an
accident, the restraining force would
28
Seat belts
not be distributed evenly along the
belt and would consequently cause
injuries. The upper part of the belt
must pass over the shoulder and
diagonally across the chest. The lower
section must adhere to your pelvis, not
the stomach, to avoid that you slide
forward in the event of a collision. Do
not use devices (clips, fastenings etc.)
that prevent the seat belts from laying
close to the passenger bodies.
Do not carry children on a
passenger's lap using only one
seat belt for protecting both
of them.
If the seat belt has suffered a
heavy mechanical stress, for
example during a collision, it
must be completely replaced together
with its anchorages, the screws
fastening the said anchorages and the
pretensioner. In fact, even if there are
no visible defects, the resistance level
offered by the seat belt could be
reduced.
Pregnant women must
observe local legislation
regarding the use of seat
belts. Make sure, in any case, that the
lower section of the belt is positioned
well down on the hips, below the
abdominal region of the body.
How to keep seat belts efficient
1) Always use the seat belts keeping
the belt perfectly flat, not twisted;
make sure the belt can slide freely,
without jamming.
2) The seat belts must be replaced
following every pretensioner
activation and whenever the belt itself
shows visible damages or abrasions.
3) Wash the seat belts by hand using
water and neutral soap, rinse them
and let them dry in the shade. Do not
use strong detergents, bleaches or
colorants and any other chemical
substance that could weaken the belt
fibers.
4) Make sure the retractors do not get
wet: as they will not operate properly.