Carrying Children Safely - Fiat Idea Owner's Handbook Manual

HOW TO KEEP THE
SEAT BELTS ALWAYS IN
EFFICIENT CONDITIONS
❒ always use the belt with the tap taut
and never twisted; make sure that it is
free to run without impediments;
❒ Replace the belt after a serious acci-
dent even if it does not appear dama-
ged. Always replace the belt if the pre-
tensioners where deployed.
❒ To clean the belt, wash by hand with
water and mild soap, rinse and leave
to dry in the shade. Do not use strong
detergents, bleach, paints or any other
substance which could damage the belt
fibres;
❒ Keep the reels dry: correct operation
may only be ensured if the reels are
dry.
❒ replace the seat belt when showing si-
gnificant wear or cut signs.
CARRYING CHILDREN
SAFELY
For optimum protection in the event of
a crash, all passengers must be seated and
wearing adequate restraint systems.
This is even more important for children.
This prescription is compulsory in all EC
countries according to EC Directive
2003/20/EC.
A child's head is larger and heavier in pro-
portion to its body and the child's mu-
scular and bone structures are not fully
developed. For this reason, they require
restraint systems which are different from
those used by adults to protect them in
the event of an accident. The research re-
sults in relation to the best protection for
children is illustrated in European Regu-
lation EEC-R44 which divides the restraint
systems into five groups in addition to
making their use compulsory:
Group 0 - up to 10 kg of weight
Group 0+ - up to 13 kg of weight
Group 1 9-18 kg of weight
Group 2 15-25 kg of weight
Group 3 22-36 kg of weight
As it may be noted, the groups overlap
partly and in fact, in commerce it is pos-
sible to find devices that cover more than
one weight group.
All child restraint devices must bear the
certification data, together with the con-
trol brand, on a solidly fixed label which
must absolutely never be removed.
When over 1.50 m in height, from the
point of view of restraint systems, children
are considered as adults and have to wear
the standard seat belts.
Lineaccessori Fiat includes child restraint
systems for each weight group. These de-
vices are recommended having been spe-
cifically designed for Fiat cars.
WARNING
Do not place a cradle seat
facing backwards on the
front seat if the passenger side airbag
is on. Deployment of the airbag in an
accident could cause fatal injuries to
the baby regardless of the severity of
the collision. It is advisable to carry
children in an appropriate restraint
system on the rear seat which is the
most protected position in the event
of an accident.
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