Seat belts
Seat belts
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Introduction
This chapter contains information on the following subjects:
Seat belts that are fastened correctly offer good protection in the event of an ac-
cident. They reduce the risk of an injury and increase the chance of survival in the
event of a major accident.
Correctly fastened seat belts hold occupants of the car in the correct seated posi-
116.
The seat belts reduce the kinetic energy (energy of motion) to a considerable ex-
tent. They also prevent uncontrolled movements which, in turn, may well result in
severe injuries.
The occupants of a vehicle who have fastened and correctly adjusted their seat
belt, profit to a major extent from the fact that the kinetic energy is optimally ab-
sorbed by the belts. The structure of the front end of the vehicle and other pas-
sive safety measures, such as the airbag system, also contribute to reducing the
kinetic energy. The energy produced is thus absorbed and there is less risk of in-
jury.
Driver wearing seat belt
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Particular safety aspects must be observed when transporting children in the ve-
hicle
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150, Transporting children safely.
WARNING
Fasten your seat belt before each journey - even when driving in town! This
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also applies to the people seated at the rear - risk of injury!
Expectant women must also always wear a seat belt. This is the only way of
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ensuring optimal protection for the unborn child
Adjust the height of the belt in such a way that the shoulder part of the belt
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is roughly positioned across the middle of your shoulder - on no account
across your neck.
Always ensure that the webbing of the seat belts is properly routed. Seat
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belts which are not correctly adjusted can themselves cause injuries even in
minor accidents.
The maximum protection which seat belts can offer is only achieved if you
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are correctly seated
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134, Correct seated position.
The seat backrests of the front seats must not be tilted too far to the rear
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otherwise the seatbelts can lose their effectiveness.
The belt webbing must not be jammed in-between at any point or twisted,
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or chafe against any sharp edges.
Make sure you do not catch the seat belt in the door when closing it.
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A seat belt which is hanging too loose can result in injuries as your body is
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moved forward by the kinetic energy produced in an accident and is then sud-
denly held firm by the belt.
The belt webbing must not run across solid or fragile objects (e.g. specta-
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cles, ball-point pens, keys etc.) as this may be a cause of injuries.
No two persons (also not children) should ever use a single seat belt togeth-
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er.
The lock tongue should only be inserted into the lock which is the correct
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one for your seat. Wrong use of the safety belt will reduce its capacity to pro-
tect and the risk of injury increases.
The slot of the belt tongue must not be blocked by paper or similar objects
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otherwise the belt tongue will not lock in place properly.
Many layers of clothing and loose clothing (e. g. a winter coat over a jacket)
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do not allow you to be correctly seated and impairs proper operation of the
It is prohibited to use clamps or other objects to adjust seat belts (e. g. for
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shortening the belts for smaller persons).
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£
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