warning DODGE SPRINTER 2008 2.G Owner's Manual

45 Safety
Occupant safety
2
When the ignition is on, the emergency
tensioning retractor is activated:\4
only if the restraint systems are op-
erational (the
1
-warning lamp
comes on for approximately 4 sec-
onds after the ignition is switched
on.) (
\2
page 41).
\4
in the event of a head-on or rear-end
collision, if there is a high rate of ve-
hicle acceleration or deceleration in
the initial stages of a collision
\4
in the event of a side impact, if the
vehicle suddenly decelerates or ac-
celerates in a lateral direction at the
initial stage of the impact and the ve-
hicle is equipped with thorax /
sidebags and / or windowbags.If the emergency tensioning retractors
are triggered, you will hear a bang that is
generally harmless to your hearing. A
small amount of powder may also be re-
leased. The
1
warning lamp lights
up.
iEmergency tensioning retractors do
not correct:\4
incorrect sitting positions
\4
incorrectly worn seat belts
Emergency tensioning retractors do
not pull occupants back towards the
backrest.
Warning
G
If the emergency tensioning retractors
have been triggered, have them replaced
at a qualified specialist workshop which
has the necessary specialist knowledge
and tools to carry out the work required.
Continued
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46 SafetyOccupant safety
2
Warning (Continued)
G
The manufacturer recommends that you
use an authorized Sprinter Dealer for this
purpose. In particular, work relevant to
safety or on safety-related systems must
be carried out at a qualified specialist
workshop.Observe the safety regulations when dis-
posing of emergency tensioning retrac-
tors. You can see a copy of these
regulations at any authorized Sprinter
Dealer.
Airbag systemWarning
G
\4To reduce the risk of serious or fatal
injuries in the event of an accident
with a high rate of deceleration, for
example due to an airbag inflating
within milliseconds, or due to sudden
braking, please observe the following
points:
Continued
Warning (Continued)
G
All vehicle occupants must select a seat
position in which they can wear their seat
belt correctly and which is as far back
from the airbag as possible. The seat po-
sition of the driver must be such that the
vehicle can be driven safely. The distance
from the driver’s seat to the pedals must
be such that the driver can fully depress
the pedals. The distance between the
driver’s chest and the center of the airbag
cover must be more than 25 cm. The driv-
er’s arms should be slightly bent when
holding the steering wheel.
Continued
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47 Safety
Occupant safety
2
Warning (Continued)
G
\4Vehicle occupants should wear their
seat belt correctly at all times and
lean back against the backrest, which
should be positioned as upright as
possible. The head restraints should
support the back of the head at about
eye level.\4Move the passenger’s seat as far to
the rear as possible, especially if a
child is secured in a restraint system
installed on this seat.
Continued
Warning (Continued)
G
\4On vehicles with a passenger’s air-
bag, it is not permitted to secure a
rearward-facing child restraint sys-
tem to the passenger’s seat
(\2page 56). Children in a rearward-
facing child restraint system must be
secured on a suitable rear seat.\4Do not lean forward, for example over
the padded boss of the steering
wheel, especially when the vehicle is
in motion.
Continued
Warning (Continued)
G
\4Only hold the steering wheel by the
outer rim. This allows the airbag to in-
flate fully. If you hold the inside of the
steering wheel, you could be injured if
the airbag were to be triggered.\4Do not put your feet on the dash-
board.\4Do not lean on the doors from inside
the vehicle.\4Make sure that no persons, animals
or objects are present between the
vehicle occupants and the deploy-
ment range of the airbags.
Continued
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48 SafetyOccupant safety
2
Your vehicle is equipped with the follow-
ing airbags, depending on the equip-
ment version:\4
Driver’s front airbag, located in the
steering wheel
\4
Passenger’s front airbag, located
above the glove box
\4
Thorax sidebags* in the outer sides
of the driver’s seat and the passen-
ger’s individual seat
\4
Windowbags* in the side of the roof
frame between the A and B-pillars
Each airbag's cover is marked with the
letters "SRS/AIRBAG" or "AIRBAG".
How airbags workAn airbag inflates within milliseconds.
The
1
warning lamp in the instru-
ment cluster comes on.
Airbag inflation slows down and restricts
the movement of the vehicle occupant.
Warning (Continued)
G
\4Do not cover the padded boss of the
steering wheel, the passenger’s air-
bag cover, the windowbag cover or
the thorax / sidebag cover with film or
other material. Do not affix any badg-
es or stickers to these areas.\4Do not hang any hard objects, for ex-
ample coat hangers, on the grab han-
dles or coat hooks.\4Do not place any items in the storage
compartment above the passenger’s
airbag if they protrude from the com-
partment. The passenger’s airbag
must be able to inflate unimpeded.The risk of injuries from an airbag cannot
be entirely ruled out due to the high speed
at which the airbag is required to inflate.
iIf the airbags are triggered, you will
hear a bang and a small amount of
dust may also be released. The bang
will not damage your hearing and the
dust does not constitute a health
hazard.
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49 Safety
Occupant safety
2
When the vehicle occupant makes con-
tact with the airbag, hot gas flows out of
the inflated airbag. This reduces the load
on the head and upper body of the vehi-
cle occupant. The airbag is therefore in a
deflated state after an accident.
Warning
G
After an airbag has been triggered:
\4airbag parts are hot – do not touch
them, otherwise you could be burnt
\4the airbags must be replaced at a
qualified specialist workshop which
has the necessary specialist knowl-
edge and tools to carry out the work
required. The manufacturer recom-
mends that you use an authorized
Sprinter Dealer for this purpose.
In particular, work relevant to safety
or on safety-related systems must be
carried out at a qualified specialist
workshop.
Warning
G
A small amount of fine powder is released as
an airbag inflates. This powder does not con-
stitute a health hazard, nor does it imply that
fire has broken out in the vehicle. This pow-
der could cause short-term breathing difficul-
ties for persons suffering from asthma or
other respiratory conditions. To avoid these
breathing difficulties, you should either:\4leave the vehicle immediately, if it is
possible to do so safely
or
\4open the window to allow fresh air to
enter
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51 Safety
Occupant safety
2
Thorax sidebags*Warning
G
For safety reasons, the manufacturer rec-
ommends that you use seat covers that
have been tested for Sprinter vehicles
and that have a seam for thorax /
sidebags. A thorax / sidebag may other-
wise not inflate correctly and could fail to
provide the intended degree of protection
in the event of a collision. You can obtain
these covers from an authorized Sprinter
Dealer, for example.
Warning
G
To reduce the risk of injury to occupants
if a thorax / sidebag is triggered, make
sure that:
\4no persons, animals or objects are
present between the vehicle occu-
pants and the thorax / sidebag de-
ployment range
\4no accessories, for example cup hold-
ers, are secured to the doors
\4only light items of clothing are hung
from the coat hooks in the vehicle
\4there are no heavy or sharp objects in
the pockets of items of clothing
Warning
G
Observe the following to reduce the risk of
serious or fatal injury if the thorax /
sidebag is triggered:
\4Vehicle occupants – in particular, chil-
dren – must never lean their head
against the area of the window in
which the thorax / sidebag inflates.
\4Vehicle occupants must wear their
seat belt correctly at all times and
lean back against the backrest, which
should be positioned as upright as
possible.
\4Always secure children who are less
than 5 ft (1.50 m) tall or under
12 years of age in a suitable child re-
straint system.
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53 Safety
Occupant safety
2
Windowbags*
iYou will find additional information
about airbag deployment on
(\2
page 48).
You will find additional information
about the triggering of emergency
tensioning retractors and belt force
limiters on (
\2
page 44).
Warning
G
To ensure that windowbags can provide
the intended degree of protection when
deployed, make sure that no persons, an-
imals or objects are present between the
vehicle occupants and the deployment
range of the windowbags.
Warning
G
Observe the following to reduce the risk
of serious or fatal injury if the windowbag
is triggered:
\4Vehicle occupants – in particular,
children – must never lean their head
against the area of the window in
which the windowbag inflates.
\4Vehicle occupants must wear their
seat belt correctly at all times.
\4Always secure children who are less
than 5 ft (1.50 m) tall or under
12 years of age in a suitable child re-
straint system.
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55 Safety
Occupant safety
2
If a child is traveling in the vehicle:\4
secure the child in a child restraint
system appropriate to his/her age
and size, preferably on a suitable
seat in the rear
\4
ensure that the child is strapped in
throughout the trip
You can obtain child seats and informa-
tion about the correct child restraint sys-
tem from any authorized Sprinter
Dealer.Children in the vehicle
Warning
G
Do not leave children unsupervised in the
vehicle even if they are secured in a child
restraint system. The children could:\4injure themselves on parts of the
vehicle\4be seriously or even fatally injured by
prolonged exposure to extreme heat
or cold
Do not expose child restraint systems to
direct sunlight. Metallic parts of the child
restraint system could heat up, for exam-
ple, and the child could burn him / herself
on the hot parts.
Warning
G
If the children open a door, they could:\4cause injury to others as a result\4get out of the vehicle and could either
injure themselves when doing so or
they could be injured by passing vehi-
cles\4sustain serious injuries if they were to
fall out of the vehicle, due in particular
to the height of the passenger com-
partment from the ground
Continued
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56 SafetyOccupant safety
2
Child restraint systemsWe recommend all infants and children
be properly restrained at all times while
the vehicle is in motion.
All lap-shoulder belts except the driver’s
seat belt have special seat belt retrac-
tors for secure fastening of child re-
straints.To fasten a child restraint, follow child
restraint instructions for mounting. Then
pull the shoulder belt out completely
and let it retract. During seat belt retrac-
tion, a ratcheting sound can be heard to
indicate that the special seat belt retrac-
tor is activated. The belt is now locked.
Push down on child restraint to take up
any slack.
Warning (Continued)
G
Do not carry heavy or hard objects inside
the vehicle or load compartment unless
they are secured. You will find further in-
formation under “Transporting”
(\2page 276) and “Features”
(\2page 287) in the “Controls in detail”
section.An unsecured or incorrectly positioned load
increases the risk of injury to occupants, par-
ticularly children, in the event of:\4sharp braking
\4a sudden change of direction
\4an accident
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57 Safety
Occupant safety
2
To deactivate, release seat belt buckle
and let seat belt retract completely. The
seat belt can again be used in the usual
manner.Warning
G
Never release the seat belt buckle while
the vehicle is in motion, since the special
seat belt retractor will be deactivated.
Warning
G
T o r e d u c e t h e r i s k o f s e r i o u s o r f a t a l i n j u r y
to a child in the event of an accident,
sharp braking or a sudden change in di-
rection:\4Always secure children less than 5 ft
(1.50 m) tall or under 12 years of age
in a special child restraint system in-
stalled on a suitable vehicle seat,
since the seat belts are not designed
for this body size.
Continued
Warning (Continued)
G
It is not permitted to secure a child in the
passenger’s seat or the center position of
the front bench seat if the vehicle is
equipped with a passenger’s airbag.Only secure a rearward-facing child re-
straint system on a suitable rear seat.
Continued
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