length Citroen DS3 2009.5 1.G Owner's Manual

139Safety
The driver must ensure that passengers use the seat belts correctly and that they are all restrained securely before setting off. Wherever you are seated in the vehicle, always fasten your seat belt, even for shor t journeys. Do not inver t the seat belt buckles as they will not fulfil their role fully. The seat belts are fitted with an iner tia reel permitting automatic adjustment of the length of the strap to your size. The seat belt is stored automatically when not in use. Before and after use, ensure that the seat belt is reeled in correctly. The lower par t of the strap must be positioned as low as possible on the pelvis. The upper par t must be positioned in the hollow of the shoulder. The iner tia reels are fitted with an automatic locking device which comes into operation in
the event of a collision, emergency braking or if the vehicle rolls over. You can release the device by pulling firmly on the strap and
releasing it so that it re-winds slightly.
In order to be effective, a seat belt must: - be tightened as close to the body as possible, - be pulled in front of you with a smooth movement, checking that it does not twist, - be used to restrain only one person, - not bear any trace of cuts or fraying, - not be conver ted or modified to avoid affecting its per formance. In accordance with current safety regulations, all repairs and checks must be carried out by a CITROËN dealer who guarantees that the work is carried out correctly. Have your seat belts checked regularly by a CITROËN dealer and par ticularly if the straps show signs of damage. Clean the seat belt straps with soapy water or a textile cleaning product, sold by CITROËN dealers.
After folding or moving a seat or rear bench seat, ensure that the seat belt is positioned and reeled in correctly.
Recommendations for children
Use a suitable child seat if the passenger is less than 12 years old or shor ter than one and a half metres. Never use the same seat belt to secure more than one person. Never allow a child to travel on your lap.
In the event of an impact
Depending on the nature and seriousness of the impacts , the pre-tensioning device may be triggered before and independentlyof the airbags. Triggering of the pre-tensioners is accompanied by a slight discharge of harmless smoke and a noise, due to the activation of the pyrotechnic car tridge incorporated in the system. In all cases, the airbag warning lamp comes on. Following an impact, have the seat belts system checked, and if necessary replaced, by a CITROËN dealer.