BMW 530XD - Manual (Page 43)

Adju
sting
42
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 seated position has a major influ-
ence on your safety in the event of an accident.
You should therefore observe the following
notes in order to maintain the protective func-
tion of the car's safety systems.
For additional notes on carrying children in
safety, see page
53 .
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 airbag cover on the front
passenger's side as a tray. Make sure that the
front passenger likewise adopts a correct
seated position and does not rest feet or legs on
the instrument panel, for example, otherwise
he/she could sustain leg injuries in the event of
the front airbag being triggered.
Make sure that passengers do not use the side
or head-level airbags as headrests, otherwise
they may sustain injuries in the event of the air-
bags triggering.
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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
90 .
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 in such a way
that its centre is at approximately ear
level; otherwise, there is an increased risk of
injury should an accident occur.
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Seat belt
All occupants should always fasten their seat
belts 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
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 impaired.
Touring: if the centre seat belt is used, the wider
backrest must be locked in position, see
page
116 , otherwise the centre seat belt will not
have any restraining effect. <
Operating seat belts, see page 47 .
Online Edition for Part-No. 01 41 0 159 725 © 09/05 BMW AG